Japan honours Dr Ekhlasur with Order of the Rising Sun

The government of Japan Thursday (29 September) conferred "The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays" award to Dr Md Ekhlasur Rahman.

Dr Ekhlasur, director of Yamagata Dhaka Friendship General Hospital, received the award at the official residence of Ito Naoki, ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh, for supporting Japanese nationals in need of medical care in Bangladesh and for his contribution to strengthening Bangladesh-Japan ties in the medical field.

He is the 14th Bangladeshi national and the first doctor in the country to receive the decoration from the government of Japan.

Ambassador Naoki expressed his gratitude to Dr Ekhlasur for proactively providing medical service with Japanese standards and treatment to the country's nationals in Bangladesh.

"The 300-year-old Japanese Edo period dictums 'medicine is a curing profession' and 'medical practice is a benevolent act' exactly describe Dr Rahman," he said.

Dr Ekhlasur completed his PhD at Yamagata University Graduate School of Medicine in 1996 and worked as a clinical fellow at Yamagata Saiseikai Hospital in Japan.

Inspired by the Japanese medical system, particularly the methods for treating patients and educating young physicians, he opened his hospital in Dhaka in 1997 to provide Japanese-standard treatment. Also, his Japanese language skills greatly benefitted the Japanese community in Bangladesh.

He also contributed to improving medical service and empowering clinical staff in Bangladesh through exchange programmes among Japanese and Bangladeshi physicians as well as training programmes for young Bangladeshi physicians.  

On 29 April, 2022, the government of Japan decided to confer The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays to Dr Ekhlasur.

He also received the Foreign Minister's Commendation from Japan for his exceptional contributions to Japanese nationals in need of help in Bangladesh.

The Foreign Minister's Commendations are awarded to individuals and groups with outstanding achievements in international fields, to acknowledge their contributions to the promotion of friendship between Japan and other countries and areas.

Naoki also conferred "The Commendations of Ambassador" to Kobayashi Reiko, a registered nurse from Japan in Yamagata Dhaka Friendship General Hospital, for her support for the Japanese community in Bangladesh and efforts to spread the Japanese style of nursing practices in Bangladesh.