UNESCO Dhaka

The Daily Star bagged both the awards in the print media category while Channel i and Bangla Vision won one each for television reporting, says a UNESCO press release issued on 3 May 2009.

UNESCO Bangladesh Journalism Awards 2009 was given for the best investigative report carried or telecast in any Bangladeshi print and electronic media in 2008. There were two awards for the print and two for the electronic media with one award reserved for female reporters for both print and electronic media.

Syed Ashfaqul Haque and Julfikar Ali Manik of The Daily Star were joint winner for their report titled "Graft in import trade" while Mahbuba Zannat from the same daily won the award for "Nurses missing in nursing" in the female reporters category.

In the electronic media category Shykh Siraj of Channel i bagged the award for "Shrimp cultivation in saline water" while Sharmeen Rinvy of Bangla Vision won the award for her report titled "Food security".

The award carried a cash prize of Tk 50,000, a crest and a certificate.

Abul Kalam Azad, Minister for Information and Cultural Affairs, Robert McDougall, High Commissioner of Canada, and Abdur Rafique, National Programme Officer, UNESCO Dhaka gave away the awards to the winners at a ceremony held at CIRDAP auditorium on 3 May 2009.

Besides four special awards carrying a crest and a certificate were given to Sharifuzzaman Pintu of the Prothom Alo, Irin Niazi Manna of Samakal, Keramat Ullah Biplob of Channel 1 and Sultana Rahman of NTV.

Since last year UNESCO Dhaka has been giving the award in commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day, observed all over the world on 3 May. This year the High Commission of Canada joined as co-sponsor of the award.