Speaker of the British House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Bangladesh Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud have handed over the Bangladesh High Commission London’s ‘Bangabandhu-Edward Heath Friendship Award 2023’ to British Conservative peer Lord Jonathan Marland of Salisbury and the ‘Bangabandhu- Harold Wilson Friendship Award 2023’ to Cross-bench peer Lord Swaraj Paul, Baron of Marylebone.
The ceremony was held during the 54th Independence and National Day diplomatic reception of Bangladesh held at the Churchill Room of the historic Queen Elizabeth II Centre at Westminster recently, said the High Commission on Friday.
Before handing over the awards, Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem told the media that these two awards were launched during Mujib Borsho in 2022 by the High Commission to honour the special friendship of Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with two of UK’s celebrated Conservative and Labour Prime Ministers, namely Sir Edward Heath, and Sir Harold Wilson between 1964 and 1975 that laid the foundation of today’s vibrant Bangladesh-UK relations.