Prime Minister Khaleda Zia today presents the Ekushey Padak at a function at Osmani Memorial Hall in the city.

The award recipients are president's wife Prof Anwara Begum, University Grants Commission Chairman Prof Asaduzzaman, former vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University Prof Jashimuddin Ahmed, eminent academician Dr Sukamol Barua in education, Director General of Bangla Academy Abul Kalam Manjur Morshed and Md Nurul Islam (posthumous) in literature, Anwaruddin Khan (posthumous), Fatematuzzohra, and Rawshanara Mustafiz in music, Hamiduzzaman Khan in sculpture, eminent journalist and freedom fighter Shahadat Chowdhury (posthumous), Managing Director and Chief Editor of the state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha Gaziul Hasan Khan in journalism, and Aftab Ahmed of The Daily Ittefaq in photojournalism.

A cabinet committee on the national award proposed a list of 17 personalities including five ministers on February 2 for Ekushey Padak.

The five ministers whose names were proposed for their contributions to their respective fields are Health and Family Welfare Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Education Minister Osman Faruq, Science, Information and Communications Technology Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan, State Minister for Religious Affairs Mosharref Hossain Shahjahan, and State Minister for Education ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon.

Sources said the news of including ministers for Ekushey Padak created controversy, following which the prime minister dropped their names and approved the list.

The cabinet committee at a meeting chaired by Environment Minister Tariqul Islam yesterday added the name of Prof Asaduzzaman for the award.

Last year, Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman and Chief Whip Khandakar Delwar Hossain were awarded the Ekushey Padak for their contributions to the 1952 Language Movement.

Introduced in 1976, the Ekushey Padak is awarded for outstanding contributions to the Language Movement of 1952, and in the fields of education, literature, journalism, and culture.