Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman leaves Dhaka for Kolkata today to receive the prestigious Indira Gandhi Gold Plaque 2011, said a statement yesterday.

Atiur has been awarded the Gold Plaque by the Asiatic Society in Kolkata in recognition of his significant contribution to international co-operation towards human progress.

He will receive the award this evening at the Vidyasagar Hall of the Asiatic Society, Kolkata.

He has also received the 'Sheltech Award (2010)' and 'Nawab Bahadur Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury National Award (2012)' for his outstanding contribution to the development of the financial sector in Bangladesh.

The award was introduced in 1985. Past awardees include ex-Swedish premier Olof Palme (1985), Dr DS Kothari (1986), Nobel laureate Mother Teresa (1987), former secretary general of the United Nations Dr Javier Perez de Cuellar (1988), Dr Nelson Mandela (1989), Rev Desmond Tutu (1990), Yasser Arafat (1993), Prof Amartya Sen (1994), Aung San Suu Kyi (1995), Shri KR Narayan (1996), Dr Ali Akbar Khan (1997), Dr Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1998), Father of the Green Revolution MS Swaminathan (2002), and shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan (2003).

The Daily Star/Bangladesh/ 7th May 2012