Bangabandhu's vision continues to light the India-Bangladesh friendship. I had the privilege of honouring his memory during my previous Bangladesh visit and will again pay homage to him, alongside PM Hasina, during the #MujibBorsho celebrations. https://t.co/5rFPCnlpVy pic.twitter.com/iS2wjPLIdo
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 22, 2021
Bangladesh expressed “deep gratitude” on Monday for the Gandhi Peace Award 2020, which was bestowed posthumously on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“The Government of Bangladesh acknowledges with deep gratitude the decision of the Government of India to confer the Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, posthumously for the first time,” said a statement issued by the foreign ministry in Dhaka. It is a great honour for Bangladesh and its citizens that the Father of the Nation has received this prestigious award.”
The announcement comes just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bilateral visit to Dhaka to attend the ‘Mujib Barsho’ celebrations commemorating the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, also known as ‘Bangabandhu.’
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 has been awarded on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, one of our subcontinent’s finest leaders.” Bangabandhu’s birth centenary was celebrated in 2020. For his millions of admirers, he remains an icon of unwavering bravery and never-ending struggle.”
The announcement was made on Monday in a press release that said, “The Jury met on March 19, 2021 and after due deliberation, unanimously decided to select Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2020, in recognition of his outstanding contributions towards social, economic, and political transformation through nonviolent and other Gandhian.
The honor is also significant because it comes on the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence. In a year when both countries are commemorating the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh’s Independence, 50 years of diplomatic relations, and the birth centenary of Bangabandhu, the Bangladesh foreign ministry described it as a “befitting” tribute to the “ever-deepening” Bangladesh-India relations.
“On this occasion, the people of Bangladesh pay homage to the two great leaders Bapuji and Bangabandhu, whose values and ideals remain even more relevant today for building a world of peace, free from oppression, injustice, and deprivation,” the statement said, remembering Mahatma Gandhi.
PM Modi went on to say, “Bangabandhu’s vision continues to illuminate the India-Bangladesh relationship.” I had the honor of honoring his memory during my previous visit to Bangladesh, and I will do so again, alongside Prime Minister Hasina, during the #MujibBorsho celebrations.”
The jury for Gandhi Peace Prize is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprises two ex-officio members — Chief Justice of India and Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in Lok Sabha.
Two eminent members are also part of the jury — Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh International Social Service Organisation.