By Mizan Rahman DhakaPrime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday presented the Independence Day Award, the highest civilian award, to 10 people for their outstanding contribution in different fields.Bangladesh will celebrate its independence anniversary today.This year, the government has nominated 10 distinguished people. Each recipient was given 200,000 taka, a gold medal and a certificate.The award recipients included Lt Commander Moazzem Hossain (posthumous), the then sub-divisional officer of Sirajganj and organiser of liberation war Abul Kalam Shamsuddin (posthumous), Dr Syeda Badrun Nahar Chowdhury, Nayeem Gahar, Vice Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Prof Pran Gopal Dutta, Prof Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, former vice-chancellor of Chittagong University Abul Fazal (posthumous), Dr Kazi M Badruddoza, Bazlur Rahman (posthumous), and Dr Quamrul Haider. Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that the trial of the war criminals would be completed on the soil of Bangladesh.“Those who were engaged in killing, torture, arson and rape during the liberation war would surely be brought to book,” she said while addressing the function at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital Dhaka.Hasina said the International Crimes Tribunal is holding the trial strictly in accordance with the country’s law and maintaining international standard.She called upon all to join hands to strengthen democracy in the country and give it an institutional shape as well as to make the fruits of independence reach every citizen.Recalling the contributions of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the struggle for the birth of an independent nation, the prime minister said Bangabandhu, in his historic March 7 address, virtually declared the independence of the country.She mentioned that Bangabandhu formally declared Bangladesh’s independence in the early hours of March 26, 1971, and the nation earned victory on December 16 after nine month of armed struggle.Hasina said that after the independence, Bangabandhu’s government took initiative for the trial of war criminals and crimes against humanity, but the process was halted with the brutal assassination of him and most of his family members in 1975.She lamented that the anti-liberation forces were then rehabilitated in politics, the constitution was mutilated and the history of Bangladesh’s liberation war distorted.The premier said that in the absence of uninterrupted democratic rule, the desired development of the country could not be achieved. “Now we have achieved democracy and our goal is to attain economic emancipation,” she said.The prime minister said that after assuming the office with huge mandate of the people, the present government put priority on ensuring overall economic stability while effective measures were taken to combat corruption, overcome the electricity crises, remove poverty, hold trial of war criminals and ensure good governance.Hasina said the commitment of the present government to eliminate corruption, terrorism and militancy has been acclaimed at home and abroad in equal measure. “The image of the country has improved abroad as the government contained these social ills with iron hand,” she added.