Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has been conferred the prestigious Rotary Peace Award, for her leadership and vision, Dr Ishtiaque A Zaman, Governor of the Rotary International District 3280 said. The theme of the award this year was ‘peace through services’. “Under her leadership Bangladesh has made wonderful progress in three areas selected by the Rotary International”, Dr Zaman told The Independent on Sunday.
“The areas are; reduction of child mortality, polio eradication and Bangladesh’s role in UN Peacekeeping Mission,” Dr Zaman said. Dr Zaman pointed out that Sheikh Hasina has become the first Bangladeshi to receive such award.
Rotary International District 3280, Bangladesh has conferred the Rotary Peace Award 2013 upon the prime minister at a function organised at a city hotel on Saturday. In that function the prime minister said conferring of the Rotary Peace Award upon her will give a boost to peace building initiatives of the present government.
Terming the award an honour to the people of the country, Hasina said the recognition of the Rotary International of the peace efforts of the government will inspire her to establish and maintain peace at home and abroad.
In this context, she mentioned the presentation of her peace model titled ‘People’s Empowerment and Development’ in the UN General Assembly in 2011 to achieve global peace. The 193 member states of the UN passed the proposal in December last.
Former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand and Past President of Rotary International Bhichai Rattakul, Rotarian Dr Ishtiaque A Zaman and Programme Chairman Rotarian F H Arif, among others, also spoke on the occasion.
-With The Independent input
