<span style="color: #222222;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh was conferred the Dr Kalam Smriti International Excellence Award 2019 in Dhaka today. The award has been instituted in the memory of former Indian President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.<br />'' <br />'' Chief Adviser of Dr Kalam Smriti International Advisory Council and former Ambassador T.P. Sreenivasan handed over the award to Sheikh Hasina. The award citation lauded Prime Minister Hasina for her vision of a peaceful and prosperous South Asia, free of tension, conflicts and terrorism. It acknowledged her contribution to fostering cooperation between India and Bangladesh.<br />''<br />''After receiving the award, Sheikh Hasina said, it will inspire her government to strive for achieving greater inclusive development of the people. The award is given every year to honour statesmen or leaders who have shown excellence in their fields to achieve the best for their countries. Earlier, the Presidents of the Maldives, Ghana and Mauritius received the prestigious award since its introduction in 2015.</span><br />