Dhaka:  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has bestowed the Ekushey Padak 2016 to 16 eminent persons in the nation for their contributions to their respective fields.

The Ekushey Padak award conferment was formally held at a function at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka on Saturday morning.

This year’s Ekushey Padak recipients are, Syed Golam Kibria(posthumous), Justice Kazi Ebadul Haque, Sayeed Haider, Dr Jasim Uddin Ahmed for language movement, Kazi Anwar Hossain (posthumous) television personality and film actress Begum Jahan Ara Ahmed, classical singer Pandit Amresh Roy Chowdhury, singer Begum Shahin Samad and dancer Amanul Haque for art and culture, Mafidul Haque for independence war, Toyab Khan for journalism, Dr ABM Abdullah and Mongchhen Ching Mongchhin for research, Jyotiprokash Datta and Dr Hayat Mamud, and Habibullah Siraji for language and literature.

Earlier, on 10 February, Ministry of Cultural affairs issued a press release mentioning the names of the Ekushey Padak awardees signed by the ministry’s assistant secretary Mohammad Ziauddin Bhuiyan.

The Ekushey Padak carries a gold medal, a citation and a cheque of Tk two lakh each.

Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam conducted the function and read out the citations of the awardees at the function held with Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor in the chair.