C T Online Desk: The Kaler Kantho senior reporter, Shahanuare Shaid Shahin, has won the Standard Chartered-Channel i Agro Award-2023 in the category of best agricultural journalist.
Shahin received the award for raising awareness and contributing significantly to policymaking through regular reports and articles on agricultural issues.
This prestigious award has recognised a total of 11 individuals and institutions for their unique contribution to the field of agriculture.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister Md Abdur Rahman was present as the chief guest at the award ceremony held at the InterContinental Dhaka in the capital on Friday. The winners received money, crests, and certificates from the minister, read a press release.
Among more than 400 applications, a seven-member jury board finally selected nine individuals and two organisations. Agricultural development activist and media personality Shykh Seraj served as the chairman of the jury board.
Global financial institution Standard Chartered Bank and the first Bengali language digital television Channel i have been jointly presenting this award for nine years.
Veteran agricultural economist and professor of Bangladesh Agricultural University MA Sattar Mandal received the lifetime achievement award at the event.
Award winners in other categories include Md Abul Kalam Azad (best farmer – male), Tania Parveen (best farmer – female), Md Siddique Hossain (best meritorious struggling farmer – male), Savitri Biswas (best meritorious struggling farmer – woman), Md Sanwar Hossain (hero of change), Mrinmoy Guha Neogi (best climate adaptor), Dr Md Al-Mamun (jury special), iFarmer (best agricultural organisation – support and implementation), and Pran Dairy (best agricultural organisation – export).
Faridur Reza Sagar, managing director of Channel i (Impress Telefilm Limited), and Naser Ezaz Bijoy, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh Limited, were present at the event.
Awardee Shahanuare Shaid Shahin has been engaged in agricultural journalism since 2011. His career in journalism began with the Bonik Barta and after working for almost twelve years in the newspaper, he joined the Kaler Kantho.
Shahin is serving as the general secretary of the Bangladesh Agricultural Journalists Forum (BAJF). He is also a member of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ). Being nominated as an IFAJ Masterclass Fellow in 2023, he got an opportunity for higher training in agriculture in Canada.
At the event, Minister Abdur Rahman said, “The country will progress only if the farmers move forward. Such an arrangement to encourage young farmers towards technology agriculture keeping climate change in mind is commendable. I believe that the country will be prosperous only if agriculture and its sub-sectors are developed.”
