Faraaz Hossain Courage Award today

The second Faraaz Hossain Courage Award will be conferred on the winner at a programme in the city's Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel at 5:30pm today.

The award was introduced last year in honour of the great sacrifice and courage shown by Faraaz, who refused to desert his friends and was brutally killed by terrorists during the July 1 terror attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka.

The whole world has seen the demonstration of bravery and selflessness of 20-year-old Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain. His sacrifice has been lauded all over the world.

In recognition of such acts of courage, PepsiCo Global decided to launch the annual Faraaz Hossain Courage Award from 2016 by setting up a fund of $200,000. This will support a $10,000 prize to be awarded annually for the next 20 years.

The purpose of the award is to recognise acts of exceptional courage by individuals setting examples of empathy for fellow human beings, to encourage the spirit of bravery among Bangladeshi youth, the very spirit that Faraaz inspires.

The jury of the Faraaz Hossain Courage Award 2017 is comprised of Brac founder and Chairperson Sir Fazle Hasan Abed KCMG, (jury chair), Bishwo Shahitto Kendro Chairman Abdullah Abu Sayeed, renowned Tagore exponent Rezwana Choudhury Bannya, Standard Chartered Bank CEO Naser Ezaz Bijoy, Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka President Nihad Kabir, American International School, Dhaka teacher Sabahat Jahan, PepsiCo Bangladesh Country Manager Manish Muley and Faraaz's grandfather Latifur Rahman, also chairman of Transcom Group.