Mirza Fakhrul, Tamim Iqbal among 15 to receive Khaleda Zia memorial gold medal

Fifteen prominent individuals, including BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and BCB President Tamim Iqbal, have been named as recipients of the newly established "Uncompromising National Leader Begum Khaleda Zia Memorial Gold Medal-2026."

According to a press release issued on Friday, the award was founded by the New York-based "Bangladesh Expatriate Citizen Committee, Inc" to honor the memory of the former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson. 

The organization plans to present this gold medal annually to individuals who have made significant contributions to the nation’s development.

The 15 awardees for the inaugural year include BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Women and Children Affairs Minister Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain, and Prime Minister’s Advisers Ismail Zabiullah and Mahdi Amin. 

Recognized figures from the sports and media landscape include Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Managing Director Kamal Uddin Sabuj, and Bangladesh Cricket Board President Tamim Iqbal. 

The list also honors human rights activist Sanjida Islam Tuli of "Mayer Dak," literary figure Dr. Mahbub Hasan, poet Abdul Hye Shikdar, and journalist Ashraf Kaiser. 

Industrialists Dr. Abul Kashem Haider and businessman Abdul Haque, as well as Fatema Begum, the personal assistant to the late Khaleda Zia, were also selected for the prestigious medal.