Prominent Bangladeshi singer Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya received the prestigious Padma Shri Award from the Indian government on Monday (April 22, 2024). Indian President Droupadi Murmu presented the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri Awards for the year 2024 at the Civil Investiture Ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The Vice President of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Minister, and other dignitaries were present. Read more: Sadi Mohammad laid to eternal rest at Mohammadpur Padma Awards, one of the highest civilian awards in India, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.The awards are given in various disciplines and fields of activity, viz., art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, among others.

The memoirs of Britney Spears and the Duke of Sussex Prince Harry have been shortlisted for Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. Prince Harry's Spare, the best-selling book in 2023, is nominated in two categories, reports BBC. It comes three decades after his father, the King, was crowned author of the year in 1990, the inaugural year for the awards. This is the actor Pierce Brosnan thinks would make a ‘magnificent’ Bond Other memoirs nominated include that of Star Trek's Sir Patrick Stewart and comic book figure Alan Partridge. Britney Spears' much-anticipated autobiography, The Woman in Me, released in October 2023, was one of the year's best-selling autobiographies. In the book, the pop sensation recounted her career and what it was like to be controlled by her father for 13 years while under conservatorship. Prince Harry and Meghan pursued in their car by photographers in New York She also discussed a medical abortion she had while dating Justin Timberlake in the early 2000s and the emotional impact it had on her. The shortlist reflects the growing number of author-podcasters, with Steven Bartlett garnering two nominations for The Diary of a CEO, named after his hit podcast, and former cabinet minister Rory Stewart nominated for Politics on the Edge. Yomi Adegoke's The List, which explores cancel culture and influencers, has also been shortlisted in two categories: Audiobook: Fiction and Debut Fiction. Several of the shortlisted writers have BookTok hits, a hashtag with over 200 billion views on TikTok that refers to a community of book fans sharing their favourite readings and reviews, the report said. Britney Spears' husband seeking financial support and attorneys' fees in divorce

The United States has honoured Bangladesh Supreme Court lawyer Fawzia Karim Firoze with 2024 International Women of Courage Award. US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and First Lady Jill Biden hosted the annual International Women of Courage (IWOC) Awards ceremony at the White House on March 4 (US time). Other awardees are Benafsha Yaqoobi (Afghanistan), Volha Harbunova (Belarus), Ajna Jusić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Myintzu Win (Myanmar), Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello (Cuba), Fátima Corozo (Ecuador), Fatou Baldeh (The Gambia), Fariba Balouch (Iran), Rina Gonoi (Japan), Rabha El Haymar (Morocco) and Agather Atuhaire (Uganda). Secretary Blinken said the United States stands with every woman of courage working to build greater stability, greater equality, and greater opportunity. "And we are committed to knocking down the barriers that prevent women and girls from reaching their full potential," he said at the ceremony. Read more: Dr Shehlina receives honorary British award "That’s why championing the rights of women and girls in all of their diversity is a central part of our foreign policy," Blinken said. Over the past three years, he said they have put forward concrete strategies, policies, and programmes to support women and girls around the world. "It’s not simply rhetorical, it’s practical, from increasing their political participation to ensuring that they’re parts of things like the clean energy transition," Blinken said. Last year, US President Joe Biden requested a doubling of foreign aid to promote gender equity abroad – an historic $2.6 billion. Fawzia has fought for the rights of marginalized groups for more than three decades, said the US State Department of State. She is currently the head of her own law chamber and serves as the Chairperson for the Foundation for Law and Development (FLAD). Read more: Bangladesh's Fawzia Karim named among International Women of Courage Award recipients for 2024 Under her leadership, FLAD won a ruling determining that the Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy of 2015 was inadequate to protect the rights of domestic workers. Fawzia has personally filed approximately 3,000 cases on behalf of garment workers against their employers and helped establish the Bangladesh Independent Garment Workers Union Federation (BIGUF) and the Domestic Workers Guidelines, said the US Department of State on Friday. Read more: Shahin Howlader receives honorary award in NY

At 91, a yogurt seller from Chapainawabganj’s Bholahat upazila, Ziaul Haque, may have missed out on formal education himself, but he has been a beacon of learning for hundreds in his community. Living in Chamamusribhuja village, Ziaul has dedicated his life to social welfare, significantly impacting the lives of those around him through education and various community services. In recognition of his lifelong commitment to bettering the lives of others, Ziaul was awarded the ‘Ekushey Padak,’ the country’s second-highest civilian honor, this year in the social service category. A testament to his dedication, Ziaul has been a familiar face in his community, selling yogurt for over six decades. Read: BSCIC officials’ training on salt iodization underway in Cox’s Bazar The Cultural Affairs Ministry announced the award on February 13, placing Ziaul in the esteemed company of other notable awardees. His contributions have previously earned him accolades, including the ‘Shada Moner Manush’ award in 2006. Upon receiving the news, an elated Ziaul expressed his joy and humility, seeing the recognition as a motivation to continue his social work. Despite the challenges of poverty that cut his own educational journey short after class five, Ziaul turned his circumstances into a mission to support the educational aspirations of others in his community. He has been particularly supportive of financially disadvantaged but talented students, offering books and academic materials funded by his yogurt sales. In 1969, Ziaul established a home library now boasting around 14,000 books, from novels to educational texts, which he offers free to local students. His generosity extends beyond education; he has provided housing for the homeless, dug wells for clean drinking water, and donated winter clothing and Qurans to madrasa students. Reflecting on his contributions, Ziaul finds deep satisfaction in the educational opportunities he has been able to provide, valuing the progress of local children over his own educational setbacks. His efforts have kept many children in school, a legacy he is proud to leave behind. Read: Scholastic student wins global coding competition Ziaul's family, along with the entire district, celebrates this well-deserved recognition. Local journalist Rubel Ahmed and many others in Bholahat commend Ziaul’s spirit and integrity, acknowledging the profound impact of his library and philanthropy on the community’s youth and educators alike. Ziaul Haque’s story is a powerful reminder of the difference one individual can make in the lives of many.

Twenty-one eminent personalities will get the country’s second-highest civilian award, the Ekushey Padak, this year in recognition of their contributions to various fields. The Cultural Affairs Ministry announced the names of the recipients on Wednesday. Gallery Cosmos felicitates Ekushey Padak 2023 recipient Kanak Chanpa Among them, Ashraf Uddin Ahmed (Posthumous) and Freedom fighter Hatem Ali Mia (Posthumous) have been selected for their roles in the Language Movement. Besides, Jalal Uddin Kha, (Posthumous) Freedom fighter Kalyani Ghosh, Bidit Lal Das (Posthumous), Andrew Kishore (Posthumous) and Subhro Deb,are being recognised for their contributions to music while Shibli Mohammad, Dolly Zahur and MA Alamgir for performing dance and acting, respectively. Ekushey Padak-winning dancer, actor Zinnat Barkatullah passes away Popular elocutionist Shimul Mustapha and Rupa Chakraborty were also listed as recipients of the Ekushey Padak. Shahjahan Ahmed Bikash and Kawsar Chowdhury have been selected for their contribution in painting and documentary films related to the Liberation War. Ekushey Padak winning sculptor Shamim Sikder no more Md Ziaul Haque and Rafiq Ahmed were picked for social service. Meanwhile, Muhammad Samad, Lutfur Rahman Riton, Minar Mansur and Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah are getting the award for contributing to language and literature while Jinabodhi Bhikkhu will picked for his contribution in education.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has honoured three entrepreneur directors of the country's electronics giant Walton with tax cards and crests for their highest tax payment in the fiscal year 2022-23. The tax card awardees are: Walton Hi-Tech Industries PLC's Chairman S M Shamsul Alam, Vice-Chairman S M Ashraful Alam and Managing Director S M Mahbubul Alam, said a press release. Bangladesh Bank dissolves National Bank’s board Apart from them, Walton Plaza also awarded the tax card. They were awarded at a programme titled "National Tax Card and Best Taxpayer Award-2023" held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital on Wednesday (December 20, 2023). Transcom Digital Introduces Candy RAC’s Two Distinct Air Conditioning--Performcool and Comfortcool Finance Division's Secretary Dr. Md. Khairuzzaman Mozumder attended the function as special guest while Finance Ministry's Senior Secretary and NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md. Rahmatul Muneem was in the chair. Walton Hi-Tech's Additional Managing Director S M Shoyeb Hossain Nobel, Remark HB Ltd's Director Abul Bashar Hawlader and Walton Plaza's Managing Director Mohammad Rayhan received the tax card and best taxpayer award from the guests on behalf of the awardees. Despite vast potential, SMEs not growing due to backdated policy: FBCCI President On behalf of Walton Plaza, Managing Director Mohammad Rayhan received the tax card and best taxpayer award.

Dr Alifa Bintha Haque from Bangladesh has received WINGS Women of Discovery Award 2023. As part of the award, she is receiving unrestricted grants to further her critical work. The award ceremony was held on October 12 in New York City, according to a press release. Govt working to conserve marine biodiversity: Environment Minister Alifa is a board member of WildTeam and an assistant professor of zoology at Dhaka University. “I was very humbled to receive this award – woman of discovery, the 100th flag carrier. I was very fortunate to have been named in the cohort with the chief scientist of ESRI, Dawn Wright, and author of the 1st hotspot paper Cristina Mittermeier. It was such an honor!” – Alifa said. Bangladesh focuses on conservation, sustainable use of marine biodiversity Alifa’s work focuses on conserving sharks and rays in the global south context. She earned her PhD from the Nature-based Solutions Initiative in the Department of Biology, Oxford, with the support of a Bangabandhu Scholarship. Her research, “Towards a socially just sustainable fishery preserving sharks and rays in the Bay of Bengal,” aims to prepare a sustainability model for the threatened species of sharks and rays in close conjunction with the fishing communities. Alifa and her team have established the largest regional dataset on diversity, fisheries and trade, discovering highly threatened species of sharks and rays, including 15 new records. An Edge of Existence Fellow and National Geographic Explorer, Alifa was selected for the 2023 cohort of the Edinburgh Ocean Leaders Programme and awarded the best student presentation at Sharks International 2022 for her talk, “Can fishers be the conservation heroes we need them to be?” Read more: Dhaka signs treaty of high seas for sustainable use of marine resources

A 14-year-old school student has been termed "America's top young scientist" for creating a bar of soap that may be effective in the treatment of melanoma, a skin cancer that affects roughly 100,000 individuals in the United States each year and kills approximately 8,000. Heman Bekele, a ninth-grader from Annandale, Virginia, was selected over nine other finalists for the award, reports The Guardian. Also read: The next big advance in cancer treatment could be a vaccine “Curing cancer, one bar of soap at a time,” he said in his submission. “I have always been interested in biology and technology, and this challenge gave me the perfect platform to showcase my ideas,” he added. He submitted his soap idea, "skin cancer treating soap," produced from ingredients that may reawaken dendritic cells that defend human skin, allowing them to combat cancer cells. Bekele stated in a video for the 3M Young Scientist Challenge that he believes "that young minds can make a positive impact on the world," the report said. Also read: New AI model can accurately diagnose cancer: Study Bekele's inspiration stemmed from his childhood in Ethiopia, where he saw people continually labouring under the blazing sun. “I wanted to make my idea something that not only was great in terms of science but also could be accessible to as many people as possible.” Skin cancer is quite common, according to the American Cancer Society, with melanoma accounting for only 1 percent, yet causing the bulk of skin cancer deaths, the report also said. Also read; Ancient viruses can help fight cancer, scientists say According to the association, melanoma rates have been significantly increasing over the last few decades, particularly among women over 50, and it is more than 20 times more prevalent in white people than in black people. At the same time, owing to breakthroughs in therapy, melanoma death rates have decreased over the last decade. After receiving the award, Bekele told the judging panel that he hoped the soap would become a "symbol of hope, accessibility, and a world where skin cancer treatment is within everyone's reach."

The Institute of Chartered Secretaries of Bangladesh (ICSB) awarded 43 private entrepreneurs in recognition of excellence in corporate governance as well as transparency in overall management. These companies were awarded in 14 categories in a ceremony held at a hotel in the capital on Saturday night. Among them, Eastern Bank got gold medal Dutch-Bangla Bank got silver and BRAC Bank got bronze medals in the general banking category. Autonemo awarded vehicle tracking service license by BTRC In Islamic Banking, Shahjalal Islami Bank got the gold medal, Standard Bank silver and Global Islami Bank got the bronze medal. In the non-banking financial institution category, IDLC Finance bagged the gold medal, Bangladesh Finance silver, and DBH Finance and National Housing Finance and Investments jointly bagged the bronze. In the general insurance category, City General Insurance bagged gold, Green Delta Insurance bagged silver and People's Insurance bagged bronze. In the life insurance category, National Life won the gold medal and Pragati Life won the silver medal. In the pharmaceuticals and chemicals category, Beximco Pharma got gold, Square Pharma got silver and Renata Limited and Navana Pharma jointly obtained bronze. Matin Spinning got gold, Paramount Textiles silver, and Hua Well Textiles bronze in the textiles and ready-made garments category. a2i’s NISE and Muktopaath win WITSA Award In the Food & Allied category, Unilever Consumer Care obtained gold, Golden Harvest Agro Industries silver, and Olympic Industries got bronze. ADN Telecom won the gold medal, Amra Technologies Silver and IT Consultants obtained the bronze in the Information and Communication Technology category. In the engineering category, Walton Hi-Tech Industries won gold, Runner Automobiles won silver and Singer Bangladesh won bronze. In the manufacturing category, RAK Ceramics won gold, Marico Bangladesh won silver and Lafarge Holcim won bronze. In the fuel and power category, United Power Generation and Distribution Company obtained gold medal, Linde Bangladesh silver, and Doreen Power and MJL Bangladesh jointly obtained bronze. In the service category, Eastern Housing won gold, Unique Hotels & Resorts silver and Index Agro Industries obtained bronze. Apart from this, Robi Axiata won gold and Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company got silver in the telecommunication category. Abul Khair's legacy: 67 freedom fighters awarded in Brahmanbaria Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Senior Secretary of the Ministry Tapan Kanti Ghosh, and ICSB Secretary Md Abdullah, among others, spoke at the function.

US-Bangla Airlines, one of the private airlines of the country, has won the “Best Domestic Airline of the Year 2023” award. "The Bangladesh Monitor", one of the travel related fortnights of Bangladesh awarded the private carrier US-Bangla for maintaining stability in Bangladesh's air transport sector with in-flight service, number of passengers on domestic routes, on-time departures, number of flights and increased connectivity in the country's air routes, said a press release issued on Thursday. FM Momen discusses trade, investment issues with US Bangladesh Business Council leaders Besides, US-Bangla Airlines received Gold Award in Most Customer Friendly Airline category, Silver Award in Best Regional Airline and Best On-time Flight Departure category. General Manager (Public Relations) of US-Bangla Airlines, Md Kamrul Islam, received the award from the chief guest of the "Best Domestic Airline of the Year-2023" program while State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mahbub Ali was present at the award giving ceremony, held on Wednesday at Intercontinental Hotel, Dhaka. US Bangla offers special Bangkok package Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority M Mofidur Rahman, Chairman of Security Exchange Commission Prof. Shibli Rubaiyat-ul-Islam, Editor of Bangladesh Monitor Kazi Wahidul Alam and other dignitaries were present at the award ceremony. US Bangla to operate Dhaka-Male flights 6 days a week from Oct 31