Former Indian President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and ex-Prime Minister Gulzarilal Nanda were posthumously conferred with the 'Bangladesh Liberation War Honour' today in recognition of their outstanding support to the country's struggle for independence from Pakistan.
They were among 44 Indians honoured by President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for their contributions in 1971.
Hamid and Hasina handed out crests to the recipient or their representatives as a mark of respect at the ceremony at Bangabandhu Memorial Hall.
"We are honoured to honour you all...You stood by us at the time of our most difficult situation," Sheikh Hasina said during the ceremony.
The awards were given in two categories -- Bangladesh Liberation War Honour and Friends of Liberation War Honour.
Bangladesh had decided to honour the 1971 foreign friends three years ago.
Ahmed, Nanda and politician Krishna Menon were paid tributes under the Bangladesh Liberation War Honour category.
Actress Waheeda Rehman, physician Shyama Prasad Mandal, professor Aniruddha Ray, Panna Lal Dasgupta and Maulana Syed Ahmed Madani were also among the recipients of the award.
Of the rest of the recipients, four were from Pakistan and the US respectively, two from the UK, two from Egypt, one from Sri Lanka, two from Japan and one from Turkey.
Former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was the first "foreign friend" to be conferred with the Bangladesh Liberation War Honour.
Her daughter-in-law and Congress president Sonia Gandhi received the honour on her behalf last year at a special ceremony.
