Two Bangladeshi featured among Padma Awardees announced by the Indian government - Dr Sanjeeda Khatun, a famed musicologist, and Lt. Col Kazi Sajjad Ali Zaheer, a war veteran of the 1971 Bangladesh independence movement.

Significantly, the nomination came at a time when Bangladesh is celebrating the year 2020-21 as Mujib Year to mark the centennial  of its founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Also, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the country in March to mark the occasion of the country's 50th Independence Day. Bangladesh was carved out of Pakistan with the help of India after a long and violent military campaign, thousands of deaths and an exodus of hundreds of thousands of people. 

Khatun, an 87-year-old musicologist, founded the Mukti Sangrami Shilpi Sangathan during the country’s liberation war in 1971. While Lt Col Kazi was awarded for his contribution to the 1971 liberation war.

Kazi joined the Mukti Bahini ( the Bangladesh liberation army) in September 1971 and had organized the 2nd artillery force under Sector 4 in the Sylhet region. Earlier in 2013, he was also awarded Bangladesh Independence Day Award, the country’s highest civilian award, for his role in the liberation war.