Brac founder and Chairperson Fazle Hasan Abed received this year's David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award in New York on Tuesday in recognition of his contribution to eradicating poverty and fighting social injustice.
He was honoured at an annual event titled 'University for a Night' at Lincoln Centre, attended by distinguished faculty and experts with diverse backgrounds and interests from around the world, reports News World.
Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan also received the award for her contribution to social service.
Wangari Maathai, a Nobel peace laureate and founder of the Green Belt Movement, Jeff Skoll, founding president of eBay and chairman of the Skoll Foundation and Participant Media, Peggy Dulany, Synergos founder and chair, Robert H Dunn, Synergos president, and David Rockefeller addressed the award giving ceremony.
The speakers said Fazle Hasan Abed has instilled a new hope in the poor people of the world who had been suffering from frustration. Bangladesh is a good example of it where thousands of people have become self-reliant by breaking out of the web of poverty.
Wangari Maathai called for worldwide concerted efforts to fight poverty and social injustice.
Receiving the award, Abed said Bangladesh once used to depend on others. "We've now become self-reliant. It's a great success," he said, referring to the success of Brac's microcredit programme.
Synergos confers the award each year on persons and organisations who work for the 'common good' by showing vision and courage in bringing people together to address global poverty and equity.
Last year, the award went to former South African president Nelson Mandela and Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates and William H Gates Sr, co-chairs of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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