Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida has announced Md. Abul Kalam Azad, a senior bureaucrat of Bangladesh, will receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star award. Azad contributed to the historic development trajectory of Bangladesh in his roles as Bangladesh’s power secretary and subsequently as secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office, principal secretary and later, principal SDG coordinator.
Currently, as the Commissioner to the Global Commission on Biodiver Cities of the World Economic Forum and Special Envoy of the Climate Vulnerable Forum Presidency of Bangladesh appointed by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he is advocating for climate change and environmental awareness. The order of the Rising Sun is generally the second highest civilian award conferred by Japan, following the Order of the Chrysanthemum, mostly given to politicians.
