Dhaka: Ahead of the country’s Independence Day, Bangladesh will honour another batch of its foreign friends and organisations with awards on March 24 for their wholehearted support to its Liberation War in 1971.

This will be the fifth phase of award programme for foreign friends and organisations after the ‘Bangladesh Freedom Honour’ conferring the same on Indira Gandhi (posthumously) on July 25, 2011.

A meeting in this regard was held at the Foreign Ministry with Foreign Minister Dipu Moni in the chair on Tuesday.

However, the list of the foreign friends who will receive the award is yet to be finalised. The national committee formed to look after the event is working on it.

Elaborate programmes are being arranged for March 23 to March 26 for the foreign friends who will be here on the occasion. 

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee is also among Bangladesh’s foreign friends and there be a special programme to honour him with the award.

Meanwhile, the government has invited Mukherjee to receive the award. State Minister for Liberation War Affairs ABM Tajul Islam earlier said the Indian President accepted the invitation and he will visit Bangladesh with his spouse at a convenient time.

The Indian President has not yet gone on foreign tour after he assumed office as President, and his maiden tour will be Bangladesh.

Ends/AMA/22/01/13