Dhaka: Twenty-eight individuals and four organisations on Thursday were honoured with Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award  for their outstanding contribution to different fields in agriculture, reports BSS.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina handed over the awards, the highest state recognition in the agriculture sector, at a function held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka in the morning.

The Ministry of Agriculture arranged the function with Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury in the chair.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Sayedul Haque was present at the function as the special guest, while Agriculture Secretary Shyamol Kanti Ghosh conducted the award-distribution session.

The awards included five gold medals, nine silver medals and 18 bronze medals.

Those who received the gold medals are Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Mosammat Nurunnahar of Iswardi in Pabna, Mohammad Abdul Quiyum Majumdar of Matlab North in Chandpur, Niva Rani Bishwash of Monirampur in Jessore and Shakti Kirtania of Tungipara in Gopalganj.

The winners of the silver medals are Jahangir Alam Shah of Manda, Naogaon, Md Amzad Hossain of Shibganj, Bogra, Engineer Md Abdul Hamid of Bangladesh Rural Development Academy in Comilla, Bangladesh Sugar Crop Research Institute, Iswardi, Pabna, the No 73 Soikerchar CIG (Crop) Mohila Samabaya Samity Ltd, Shibpur, Narsingdi, Md Atikur Rahman, Naldanga, Natore, Alhaz Md Abdus Salam Sarkar, Mithapukur, Rangpur, Md Azmal Hossain, Shibganj, Bogra and Md Shamsuddin Mondal, Mohadevpur, Naogaon.

Those who received bronze medals are Manindra Nath Singha, Mirzapore, Tangail, Md Aklu Mian Chowdhury, Rajnagar, Moulvibazar, Atanu Sarkar, Godagari, Rajshahi, Biplab Kumar Sen, Atgharia, Pabna, Agriculturist Farhad Ahmed, Tangail, Aklima Begum, Kolaroa, Satkhira, Fatema Khatun Majumdar, Hatibandha, Lalmonirhat, Panjarbhanga, IAPP Mohila Dughdho Utpadonkari Samabaya Samity Ltd, Kaunia, Rangpur, Manmath Sarkar, Bhaluka, Mymensingh, Md Moniruzzaman Monir, Razpara, Rajshahi, Chang Reng Mro, Bandarban Sadar, Bandarban Hill District, Md Rezaur Rahman, Sunamganj Sadar, Sunamganj, Md Akmal Hossain, Iswardi, Pabna, Md Idris Ali, Jhenidah Sadar, Jhenidah, Md Razib Malitha, Iswardi, Pabna, Abidur Nur Chowdhury Riyadh, Chouddhagram, Comilla, Md Mahbubur Rahman Fatik, Adamdighi, Bogra, and Jaminur Islam, Nawabganj, Dinajpur.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman introduced the award in 1973 in order to take forward the agri-based economy of the newly independent country. In its continuation, 28 individuals and four organisations were awarded with Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award this year.