The government has nominated ten noted individuals for the highest civilian award ‘Swadhinata Padak-2024’, this year for their outstanding contributions to the country. The Cabinet Division declared the names of the award recipients in a notification on Friday (March 15).

The independence award (Swadhinata Padak) in the social service/ public service category is being awarded to SM Abraham Lincoln, who is a prominent lawyer of Kurigram, the founder Principal of Kurigram Law College and the founder Chairman of North Bengal Museum, history researcher of the Liberation War, multi-faceted writer and the public prosecutor.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will officially hand over the award/medal to him on March 25. This information was revealed on Friday (March 15) through a letter signed by Zaheda Parveen, Additional Secretary (Committee and Economic) of the Council of Ministers. It is the highest state award in the country. SM Abraham Lincoln also received the Ekushey Padak in 2022 in the social service category.

SM Abraham Lincoln was born on November 14, 1966 in Kurigram district town. He completed honours and masters in the department of Law from the University of Rajshahi and was AGS of Rajshahi University Students’ Union in 1989 and Senate member in 1990. Currently, he is serving as a senate member of the National University. He is an author, columnist and researcher. He has written 16 books on liberation war and regional history. He is a life member of Bangla Academy and researcher of Asiatic Society.

After establishing Kurigram Law College in 1992, he has been serving as Principal without any salary or honorium. He provided the legal help to Felani’s family on the mass talked Felani murder case in Kurigram district. As a human rights activist, he has been providing legal assistance in the cases of human rights violations.

In 2012, SM Abraham Lincoln constructed the North Bengal Museum to present the glorious history of the Liberation War to the new generation. The memorabilia elements of the museum are spread everywhere of the drawing-room, bedroom, balcony, reading-room of his residence. It has become known as museum by day, home by night.

There are many biographies of freedom fighters, boxes of bullets and grenades used in the war, documents of Kurigram-India banking contact’s paper, lists of houses burnt during the war, many important memorabilia elements and a list of 5,865 Razakars. The coffin of prominent writer Syed Shamsul Haq has been preserved here.

The museum has recently become a focal point of interest for students, teachers and researchers. Day by day, the North Bengal Museum, one of the lighthouses of Rangpur division, is enriched with rare memories of the liberation war and history. The new four-storied building of the museum is being constructed on 18 decimals of land, donated by him.