The Order of Orange-Nassau is awarded for longstanding meritorious service to society, the State or the Royal House of the Kingdom of The Netherlands.

Sir Abed accepted the insignia of the Royal Knighthood bestowed upon him by Dutch Ambassador to Bangladesh Harry Verweij on behalf of King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands on Wednesday.

A brief ceremony took place at Abed's residence in the city. Abed’s family members along with representatives from the Netherlands embassy were present at the event.

"On behalf of His Majesty the King it is my great honour and privilege to present to you the insignia of Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau,” Ambassador Verweij said.

Sir Abed expressed his delight at the acknowledgement by the Dutch Crown. "Being named an Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau is an immense honour.”

He said the Netherlands has been a great friend and supporter to BRAC over the decades and their connection with the country has deepened since establishing the base of international operations there 10 years ago.

“This recognition is a testament to that friendship. As BRAC expands globally, we look forward to working together to advance the causes of people living in situations of poverty and deprivation”.

The Dutch Ambassador highlighted Sir Abed’s holistic vision and entrepreneurial approach to poverty alleviation and women’s empowerment saying he has always strived to uphold human dignity, resilience, integrity and inclusion - these values have been at the heart of the successful development of BRAC.

“The fact that, for BRAC, the empowerment of women is not a secondary aim but a guiding principle of all of its programmes and enterprises, is greatly appreciated. BRAC’s anti-poverty work is recognized across the world, including in the Netherlands,” said the Ambassador.

He also mentioned the longstanding and close connection between BRAC and his country.