Sir Abed honoured with Nirafat Anam Memorial Inclusion award

BRAC founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed KCMG has been awarded with the 4th Nirafat Anam Memorial Inclusion (NAMI) Award 2019.

Asif Saleh, executive director, BRAC, received the honour on behalf of Sir Fazle on Thursday at an event organised at BRAC Centre in the capital, said a press relase.

Sir Fazle died last year on 20 December. 

Asian Centre for Inclusive Education (ACIE) conferred the award on Sir Fazle for his great contributions in taking the movement of inclusion of the persons with disabilities, small ethnic communities and marginalised communities forward. I

nternationally famous inclusion activist and he is a visually impaired person, Monsur Ahmed Choudhuri, handed over the award to Asif Saleh. Professor Dr M Tariq Ahsan, secretary-general of ACIE, was digitally present at this time. 

The award was announced on 19 November last year but the presentation has been delayed till now due to Sir Fazle's illness and Covid-19 situation, the press release added. 

Asif Saleh said in his speech at the event: "I am deeply proud to receive this award on behalf of Sir Fazle. We are also delighted that the money that comes with the prize will be spent as stipends for disadvantaged children. Abed Bhai used to put great emphasis on the education of children from disadvantaged families and made sure that not a single child drop out of school pressed by extreme poverty. BRAC will continue its work to ensure education for the underprivileged children. This award will be an inspiration to our work."

Besides the award crest, the BRAC executive director was also presented with a cheque for stipends for students also.

Among others present at the programme were Dr Safiqul Islam, director, BRAC Education Programme, and Limia Dewan, senior programme manager of the same programme, ACIE member educationist Iqbal Hossain and Kaiser E Alam. Mr Wajiur Rahaman Rafel was also present from Dr Nirafat Anam's family.