2021 in Bangladesh explained

The year 2021 is the 50th year after the independence of Bangladesh. It is also the third year of the fourth term of the government of Sheikh Hasina. This year the entire country celebrated the 50th anniversary of independence.

Events

January and February

• 14 January - A fire at the Nayapara refugee camp for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar District burned down, destroying approximately 550 shelters.^[1]
• 25-28 February - Protests across the country following the death of journalist Mushtaq Ahmed in police custody.^[2]

March and April

• 19-29 March - Protests erupt across Bangladesh as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the country.
• 22 March - At least 15 people are dead and at least 400 are missing after a massive fire strikes Cox Bazar's Rohingya Refugee camp
• 4 April - Rescuers recover 26 bodies after a ferry collides with a cargo vessel in Shitalakhsya River near the capital Dhaka.^[3]
• 17 April - While workers in a coal power plant in Chittagong were holding protesting over their unpaid wage, the police stormed on them and opened fire, 5 workers killed, 15 injured in the police firing.^[4]

May and June

• 9 June - A large fire destroys over 500 homes in a slum in Mohakhali.^{[5] [6] [7] [8]}
• 27 June - Seven people were killed and more than a hundred were injured after an explosion in Dhaka.

July and August

• 8 July - At least 52 people were killed by a fire at a food and drink factory in Rupganj.
• 9 August - Bangladesh wins the 5 matches T20I cricket series against Australia 4-1, in the final match Australia lost while registering their lowest ever T20I score of 62.^[9]

September and October

• 29 September - Murder of Mohibullah
• Communal violence rocked the country during and after the Durga Puja festival, from October 13 to October 22. The Government took necessary measures to ensure the arrest of those responsible for the violence.^[10]

November and December

• 12 November - Political violence between rival political factions during the 2021 Union Parishad elections resulted in the death of 7 people.^[11]
• 6 December: Cyclone Jawad caused heavy rain in the region.^[12]
• 16 December: Bangladesh celebrates 50 years of Victory in the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence.^[13]
• 24 December: A fire on a ferry kills about 40 people.^[14]

Awards and recognitions

International recognition

• In August, the Ramon Magsaysay Award was presented to Firdausi Qadri, a Bangladeshi scientist with specialization in immunology and infectious disease research, working as a director for Centre for Vaccine Sciences of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease and Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b).^[15]

Independence Day Award

Total 9 persons and 1 organisation were awarded.^[16]

Recipients	Area	Note
AKM Bazlur Rahman	independence and liberation war	posthumous
	independence and liberation war	posthumous
	independence and liberation war	posthumous
	independence and liberation war	posthumous
Mrinmoy Guha Neogi	science and technology
	literature
	culture
	culture
	social work
	research and training

Ekushey Padak

It was awarded to 21 persons.^[17]

1. Motahar Hossain Talukdar, language movement (posthumous)
2. Md. Shamsul Haque, language movement (posthumous)
3. Afsar Uddin Ahmed, language movement (posthumous)
4. Papia Sarwar, music
5. Raisul Islam Asad, performing arts
6. Salma Begum Sujata, performing arts
7. Ahmed Iqbal Haider, drama
8. Syed Salahuddin Zaki, film
9. Bhaskar Bandopandhay, recitation
10. Pavel Rahman, photography
11. Golam Hasnayen, Liberation War
12. Fazlur Rahman Faruque, Liberation War
13. Syeda Issabela, Liberation War (posthumous)
14. Ajoy Dasgupta, journalism
15. Samir Kumar Saha, research
16. Mahfuza Khanam, education
17. Mirza Abdul Jalil, economics
18. Kazi Kamruzzaman, social service
19. Quazi Rosy, language and literature
20. Bulbul Chowdhury, language and literature
21. Ghulam Murshid, language and literature

Deaths

• 3 January — Rabeya Khatun, novelist (b. 1935).^[18]
• 20 February — ATM Shamsuzzaman, actor (b. 1941).^[19]
• 16 March — Moudud Ahmed, politician (b. 1940).^[20]
• 7 April — Indra Mohan Rajbongshi, singer (b. 1946).^[21]
• 11 April — Mita Haque, singer (b. 1962).^[22]
• 14 April — Abdul Matin Khasru, politician (b. 1950).^[23]
• 17 April — Kabori Sarwar, film actress and politician (b. 1950).^[24]
• 18 April — Mesbahuddin Ahmed a.k.a. Wasim, film actor (b. 1947).^[25]
• 22 June — Mohiuddin Ahmed, publisher and founder of The University Press Limited (b.1944)^[26]
• 23 July — Fakir Alamgir, singer (b. 1950).^[27]
• 31 August — Bashir Al Helal, novelist (b. 1936).^[28]
• 24 September — Ustad Julhas Uddin Ahmed, singer (b. 1933).^[29]
• 11 October — Enamul Haque, actor (b. 1943).^[30]
• 15 November — Hasan Azizul Huq, novelist (b. 1939).^[31]

Notes and References

1. News: Fire destroys homes of thousands in Rohingya refugee camps - UNHCR . Reuters . January 14, 2021 . Poppy Elena . McPherson . Ruma . Paul . Simon . Cameron-Moore . January 14, 2021 . January 15, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210115185556/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bangladesh-rohingya/fire-destroys-homes-of-thousands-in-rohingya-refugee-camps-unhcr-idUSKBN29J1AL . live .
2. Web site: Unacceptable . 27 February 2021 . 2021-02-27 . 2021-02-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210227080411/https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/unaccep-table-2051657 . live .
3. News: Bangladesh ferry accident kills at least 26. 5 April 2021. Reuters. 9 May 2021. 8 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210508223844/https://www.reuters.com/article/bangladesh-ferry-accident-idUSKBN2BS04B. live.
4. Web site: 5 dead as police open fire on coal power plant workers in Chattogram . 17 April 2021 . 2021-04-23 . 2021-04-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210422201905/https://www.thedailystar.net/bangladesh/news/four-coal-power-plant-workers-killed-clash-police-ctgs-banshkhali-2078953 . live .
5. Web site: Fire guts over 500 shanties at Mohakhali slum . 7 June 2021 . 2021-06-09 . 2021-06-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004127/https://www.thedailystar.net/bangladesh/news/fire-guts-over-500-shanties-mohakhali-sattota-slum-2106413 . live .
6. Web site: 'Everything I had is now burnt to ashes' . 7 June 2021 . 2021-06-09 . 2021-06-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004126/https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/dhaka/2021/06/07/massive-fire-guts-mohakhali-s-sattola-slum-again . live .
7. Web site: Recurring slum fires a cause of concern . 9 June 2021 . 2021-06-16 . 2021-06-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210611124406/https://www.thedailystar.net/editorial/news/recurring-slum-fires-cause-concern-2107265 . live .
8. Web site: Recurring slum fires a cause of concern: Daily Star . 9 June 2021 . 2021-06-16 . 2021-06-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210610082502/http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/recurring-slum-fires-a-cause-of-concern-daily-star . live .
9. Web site: Tigers bundle out Aussies for lowest-ever T20I total to take series 4-1. 9 August 2021. 11 August 2021. 11 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210811014507/https://www.thedailystar.net/sports/cricket/news/tigers-opt-bat-aussies-field-two-leg-spinners-2148411. live.
10. Web site: Cumilla Hindu temple attack victim dies in Dhaka . bdnews24.com . 2021-10-22 . 2021-11-25 . 2021-11-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211109061851/https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2021/10/22/cumilla-hindu-temple-attack-victim-dies-in-dhaka . live .
11. Web site: Union Parishad Elections 2021: Seven lives lost, scores hurt . The Daily Star . 2021-11-12 . 2021-11-25 . 2021-11-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211121013724/https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/elections/news/union-parishad-elections-2021-seven-lives-lost-scores-hurt-2227681 . live .
12. Web site: Heavy rains paralyse normal life in city.
13. Web site: Bangladesh celebrating 50 years of victory over Pakistan.
14. Web site: Fire on launch: 10-year-old dies, father burnt, grandfather missing. 24 December 2021.
15. Web site: Firdausi Qadri. 31 August 2021. 31 August 2021. 31 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210831070738/https://www.rmaward.asia/awardee/firdausi-qadri. live.
16. Web site: 2021-03-08. Swadhinata Padak 2021: Nine people, BARC picked. 2021-03-31. The Daily Star. en. 2021-03-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20210331050433/https://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/news/swadhinata-padak-2021-nine-people-barc-picked-2056569. live.
17. News: 21 eminent personalities named for Ekushey Padak. 2021-02-03. 2021-02-03. The Daily Star. 2021-02-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20210206043751/https://www.thedailystar.net/country/news/21-named-ekushey-padak-2039389. live.
18. News: Novelist Rabeya Khatun no more. The Daily Star. 2021-01-03. 2021-01-03.
19. News: 2021-02-20. Actor ATM Shamsuzzaman passes away. 2021-02-20. Dhaka Tribune.
20. News: BNP leader Moudud dies. New Age. 16 March 2021.
21. https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/singer-indra-mohan-rajbongshi-dies-of-covid-19-1617779142 Singer Indra Mohan Rajbongshi dies of Covid-19, The Financial Express, 7 April 2021
22. News: Ekushey Padak-winning singer Mita Haque passes away . 5 July 2021 . 11 April 2021 . Dhaka Tribune . 9 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210509025001/https://www.dhakatribune.com/obituary/2021/04/11/ekushey-padak-winning-singer-mita-haque-passes-away . live .
23. Web site: Former law minister Abdul Matin Khasru dies of COVID. live. 2021-04-14. bdnews24.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20210414115007/https://bdnews24.com/politics/2021/04/14/former-law-minister-abdul-matin-khasru-dies-of-covid . 2021-04-14 .
24. Web site: 2021-04-17. Veteran actress Kabori passes away. 2021-04-17. Dhaka Tribune.
25. News: 2021-04-18. Popular film actor Wasim no more. 2021-04-18. The Daily Star. en.
26. News: University Press Limited publisher Mohiuddin Ahmed passes away . 5 July 2021 . Dhaka Tribune . 22 June 2021 . 22 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210622083851/https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/people/2021/06/22/university-press-limited-publisher-mohiuddin-ahmed-passes-away . live .
27. News: https://www.bangladarpan.com/%e0%a6%9a%e0%a6%b2%e0%a7%87-%e0%a6%97%e0%a7%87%e0%a6%b2%e0%a7%87%e0%a6%a8-%e0%a6%97%e0%a6%a3%e0%a6%b8%e0%a6%82%e0%a6%97%e0%a7%80%e0%a6%a4-%e0%a6%b6%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%b2%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%aa%e0%a7%80/. bn:চলে গেলেন গণসংগীত শিল্পী ফকির আলমগীর. Bangladarpan. 24 July 2021. bn. 24 July 2021. 23 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210723192554/https://www.bangladarpan.com/%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%A3%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%A4-%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%80/. dead.
28. Web site: রিপোর্ট. স্টার অনলাইন. 31 August 2021. গবেষক ও কথাসাহিত্যিক বশীর আল-হেলাল মারা গেছেন. 31 August 2021. The Daily Star Bangla. en.
29. News: bn:সম্মাননা নিলেন ওস্তাদ জুলহাস উদ্দিন আহমেদ . https://samakal.com/todays-print-edition/tp-khobor/article/1605214485 . Samakal . bn . 12 March 2019.
30. News: Dr Enamul Haque passes away . 16 October 2021 . Dhaka Tribune . 11 October 2021.
31. News: Litterateur Hasan Azizul Haque no more. Prothom Alo English. 15 November 2021. 15 November 2021.