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The Highest Civilian Honor provided by the State in Bangladesh is Swadhinata Padak or the Independence Award. Awarded to the Bangladeshi citizens, organisations on their outstanding achievements and contributions in the fields like the War of Liberation, the Language Movement, education, literature, journalism, public service, science and technology, medical science, social science, song, games and sports, fine arts, rural development and more.
But here are 3 stand out individuals who in history have declined the honor of receiving the Swadhinata Padak for their own reasons and beliefs.
Badruddin Umar (2025)
The 93 year old Bangladeshi political activist, Marxist – Leninist theorist, historian and a multi hyphenated personality, Badruddin Umar was nominated among the seven for the Independence Award in 2025.
He declined the award stating he has always been bestowed awards for decades from 1973 and just like his long standing practice of declining all of the honors, declined the Independence Award.
Muzaffar Ahmed (2015)
The chairman of the Bangladesh National Awami Party, Muzaffar Ahmed was also a professor, and served as the advisor of the Provisional Government during the 1971 war period. A distinctive individual who was nominated for the Independence award in 2015, three years before his passing.
Muzaffar Ahmed declined the award based on his personal beliefs as a politician and stated that politics should be serving people and not about seeking personal gain or positions of power and declined it as accepting would contradict his beliefs.
Mahbubur Rob Sadi (1973)
An acclaimed and inspiring war hero, Mahbubur Rob Sadi was not just a Liberation war veteran but also a singer, poet, politician. The outstanding personality was called on for receiving the Bir Protik Gallantry award in 1973.
Mahbubur Rob Sadi declined the award stating bias in the award program and pointed out that many martyrs, civilians and non-military individuals deserved the medal. The refusal was a testament to his ethical belief, his duty, brotherhood and resilience.
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