Gandhi Peace Prize for Mujibur Rahman, late Sultan of Oman

Blurb: First time since inception, prizes awarded posthumously

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 22

The government on Monday announced to confer the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of Bangladesh, and 2019 edition of the award on the late Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said.

The Gandhi Peace Prize jury chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on March 19 and unanimously decided to select Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said as the recipients “in recognition of their outstanding contributions for social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods.”

This is the first time since inception in 1995 that the prizes are being awarded posthumously.

The announcements came ahead of Prime Minister’s visit to Bangladesh on March 26 to participate in the Bangladesh National Day celebrations and mark Mujib Borsho, the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibir Rahman, fifty years of the war of the Bangladesh liberation and 50 years of diplomatic engagement between India and Bangladesh.

The award carries an amount of Rs 1 crore, a citation and a plaque. The jury comprised CJI SA Bobde, Leader of the single largest Opposition party in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak.