The Daily Star has received the National Environment Award 2009 in environment education and campaign category, for promotion of environmental awareness.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina handed over the award to Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of the newspaper, at the launching ceremony of a two-day programme marking World Environment Day yesterday in the capital's Osmani Memorial Hall.

One individual and three organisations were the recipients of the National Environment Awards this year in four categories.

A farmer turned beggar Md Gaher Ali, received an award in the category of environment preservation, for planting 18,000 palm trees on Naogaon-Rajshahi highway between Nowhata and Bablatala.

Square Knit Fabrics Ltd, and Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) were the other two recipients of the awards in the categories of environment pollution control, and research and technology innovation respectively.

BRRI was awarded for its invention of BRR 47, a salinity resistant variety of rice.