Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed his firm belief that Bengali language and literature will one day spread their light across the global stage.

The Prime Minister made these remarks on Thursday (February 26) at 11:00 AM after presenting the 'Ekushey Padak 2026' at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital.

Honoring a Legacy of Excellence
Reflecting on the history of the award, Tarique Rahman noted that the proclaimer of independence, the late President Ziaur Rahman, first introduced the Ekushey Padak in independent Bangladesh.

"This is not just an award," the Prime Minister stated.

He further highlighted that while the state honor began in 1976 with only three categories, it is now awarded in at least 12 fields—including the Liberation War, science and technology, and research. He described this expansion as a "positive achievement."

A Vision for Intellectual Freedom
The Prime Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to fostering education and the arts without political interference.

State Responsibility: The government will fulfill its duty to accelerate the practice of education, research, and literature.

Depoliticization: He asserted that politicizing intellectual and artistic pursuits is not a sign of a civilized society.

Democratic Values: The current administration is working toward establishing a liberal democratic state system with high moral standards to ensure progress in all branches of knowledge.

The Spirit of February
Defining February as the "month of searching for our roots," the Prime Minister called February 21 the "lifeline of our cultural consciousness." He noted that the movement was both a struggle for the dignity of the mother tongue and a fight for rights against oppression.

Commemorating the martyrs of the Language Movement as the nation enters the 75th year since the movement began, he offered prayers for the departed souls and congratulated this year's recipients before joining them for a photo session.

2026 Ekushey Padak Awardees
This year, the prestigious award was conferred upon several distinguished individuals and groups:

Category	Recipient
Film	Farida Akhter Babita
Fine Arts	Professor Abdus Satta
Architecture	Marina Tabassum
Music	Ayub Bachchu (Posthumous)
Music (Group)	Warfaze (Band)
Dramatics	Islam Uddin Palakar
Journalism	Shafik Rehman
Education	Professor Mahbubul Alam Majumdar
Sculpture	Tejas Halder Josh
Dance	Orthee Ahmed