Twenty-four 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 on Thursday. Mostafa MA Matin (posthumous), and Mirza Tofazal Hossain Mukul (posthumous) have been selected for their roles in the Language Movement. Zeenat Barkatullah is being recognised for her contributions to dance while Nazrul Islam Babu (posthumas), Iqbal Ahmed, Mahmudur Rahman Benu for music, and Khaled Mahmud Khan (posthumas), Afzal Hossain, Masum Aziz for acting. Alhaj Md Motiur Rahman , Syed Muazzem Ali(posthumas), QABM Rahman, Amzad Ali Khandaker are being recognised for their contributions to the Liberation War. Read: Bangla Academy confers eminent personalities with Awards, Honorary Fellowship for 2021 MA Malek is being recognised for contributions to journalism while Md Anwar Hossain for role in science and technology, and Prof Gautam Buddha Das for education. SM Abraham Lincoln and Sangharaj Gyanasree Mahather will be recognised for their contributions to social work and Kamal Chowdhury, Jharna Das Purkayastha for contributions for language and literature. Dr Md Enamul Huq, Dr Shahanaj Sultana and Dr Jannatul Ferdous as a team and Dr Abdus Sattar Mandal as an individual  get the Ekushey Padak for their contributions to research this year.