Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 conferred on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman; 2019 prize for late Sultan of Oman

The culture ministry on Monday conferred The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2020 on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The prize for the year 2019 is conferred on late Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman in recognition of his vision to strengthen relations with India, and his efforts to promote peace and non-violence in the Gulf region, the ministry said. The award carries an amount of Rs. 1 crore, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handloom item.

The Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted by the government of India since 1995, the 125th birth anniversary commemoration year of Mahatma Gandhi.

The jury for Gandhi Peace Prize is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprises of two ex-officio members, namely the chief justice of India and leader of the single largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha. Two eminent members are also part of the jury – Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder of Sulabh International Social Service Organisation.

An official statement said the prestigious award “recognizes the immense and unparalleled contribution of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in inspiring the liberation of Bangladesh, bringing stability to a nation born out of strife, laying the foundation for the close and fraternal relations between India and Bangladesh, and promoting peace and non-violence in the Indian subcontinent”.