Bangladesh owes an immense gratitude to those foreign individuals who made a major contribution to its 1971 War of Liberation. In 2012, the Government of Bangladesh began conferring special honours on these Friends of Bangladesh as an expression of gratitude for their great contribution to our War of Liberation. Awards were presented in three categories – Bangladesh Swadhinota Shammanona (Bangladesh Freedom Honour), Bangladesh Muktijuddho Shammanona (Bangladesh Liberation War Honour) and Muktijuddho Moitri Shammanona (Friends of Liberation War Honour).