The government on Wednesday announced the names of 20 eminent personalities and an organization for the “Ekushey Padak-2020” for outstanding contributions to respective fields.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hand over the Ekushey Padak to the awardees at Osmani Memorial Auditorium here at 10-30am on February 20, said a press release of Cultural Affairs Ministry.

Award winners are: Late Aminul Islam Badsha (posthumous) in Language Movement; Begum Dalia Nawshin, Shankar Roy and Begum Mita Haque in music; Md Golam Mustafa Khan in dance, SM Mohsin in acting, Professor Dr Farida Zaman in fine arts, Late Haji Akhter Sardar (posthumous) and Late Abdul Jabbar (posthumous) and Late Dr AAM Mesbahul Haque (Bachchu Doctor) (Posthumous) in Liberation War; Zafar Wazed (Ali Wazed Zafar) in journalism; Dr Jahanagir Alam and Hafez Kari Allama Syed Mohammad Saifur Rahman Nijami Shah in research; Professor Dr Bikiran Prashad Barua in education; Professor Dr Shamsul Alam in economics; Sufi Mohammad Mizanur Rahman in social service; Dr Nurun Nabi, Late Sikder Aminul Haque (posthumous) and Begum Nazmun Nesa Piyari in language and literature, and Professor Dr Sayeba Akhter in medical science.

Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute won the award in research.

The ‘Ekushey Award’ is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of the martyrs of the Bengali Language Movement of 1952.

The award is given to individuals and organizations in recognition of contributions to a number of fields, including culture, education, and economics.

The cultural affairs ministry confers the award with a gold medal, a certificate of honour and cash.