Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday awarded prestigious Bangabandhu Jatiya Krishi Puroshkar-1424,  the highest state recognition for achievements in the agriculture sector, to 32 individuals and organisations.

Of them, five received gold medals, nine silver medals and 18 bronze medals for their outstanding contribution to different fields in agriculture.

Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award-1424 recognised the recipients’ special contribution to agriculture research and expansion, cooperatives motivation, technology innovation, commercial farming, afforestation, rearing livestock and poultry and fish farming.

Agriculture Minister and Chairman of Bangabandhu Krishi Puroshkar Trust  Dr M Abdur Razzaque handed over the awards on behalf of the Prime Minister.

The award giving ceremony was held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium while the prime minister joined it virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.

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In 1973, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman introduced the award in order to take forward the agro-based economy of the newly independent country.

After Bangabandhu’s assassination in 1975, the subsequent government stopped the award.

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But after assuming office in 2009, the Awami League government framed “The Bangabandhu Jatiya Krishi Purashkar Tahabil Ain-2009”  giving institutional shape to the award introduced by Bangabandhu.

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The Bangabandhu Jatiya Krishi Purashkar Trust Law, 2016 was enacted to make the activities more dynamic.