DHAKA, Feb 25, 2022 (BSS) - Mother Teresa International Award has been conferred on Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir for his contributions to the media industry of Bangladesh.

    The Mother Teresa International Award Committee handed over the award to Sayem Sobhan Anvir at a function held at Satyajit Ray Auditorium of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in Kolkata on Thursday evening, a press release said today.

     The function was organised to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the Mother Teresa International Award. As part of the reward, Anvir was given a certificate, a memento with a picture of Mother Teresa, shawl and a packet of sweets.

     West Bengal Trinamool Congress MLA Debashish Kumar and Mother Teresa International Award Committee Chairman Anthony Arun Biswas, among others, were present on the occasion.

    Top officials of Bashundhara Group were also present at the function.

     Being overwhelmed by the honour bestowed upon him, Anvir said: "It's such a great feeling. I am really overjoyed to receive an award that is named after a great personality like Mother Teresa."

     On the same day, the Mother Teresa International Award was handed over to eminent personalities from India and Bangladesh.

    The 'Mother Teresa Ratna' was awarded to physician Dr Ashok Poddar.

    A cultural show was also organised on the occasion. At the beginning of the main function, a minute of silence was observed to mourn late Cabinet Minister of West Bengal Sadhan Pandey and the late recipients of the Mother Teresa honours.

   In his opening remarks, Mother Teresa International Award Committee Chairman Anthony Arun Biswas said, "I was with Mother till her death. I also first sent a letter to Vatican City asking her to be a saint."

    Speaking about his personal relationship with Mother Teresa, he said, "I still get emotional when I read Mother's handwritten letter."

     Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Bashundhara Group Chairman and eminent industrialist Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and some other distinguished personalities of Bangladesh received this award for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.