The Bir Sreshtho ( bn, বীরশ্রেষ্ঠ; ), is the highest

military award Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. DoD Manual 1348.33, 2010, Vol. 3 A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medal ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...

. It was awarded to seven freedom fighters who showed utmost bravery and died in action for their nation. They are considered

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

s. The other three gallantry awards are named, in decreasing order of importance, Bir Uttom, Bir Bikrom and Bir Protik. All of these awards were introduced immediately after the

Liberation War Wars of national liberation or national liberation revolutions are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) to establish separat ...

in 1971.

Recipients of the Bir Srestho

All the recipients of this award were killed in action during the

of 1971. The award was published by the

Bangladesh Gazette ''The Bangladesh Gazette'' () is the official gazette of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh published from Dhaka, Bangladesh. History The gazette traces its origin to the ''Dhaka gazette'' which was published on 15 August 1947 ...

on 15 December 1973. It is the highest military award of Bangladesh, similar to the American

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

or the British

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...

. It has only been given in 1973 to seven people. Listed below are the people who have received the Bir Srestho. They are all considered 'Shaheed' (Martyrs).

Bangladesh Army

Bangladesh Navy The Bangladesh Navy ( bn, বাংলাদেশ নৌবাহিনী, Bangladesh Nou Bahini) is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for Bangladesh's of maritime territorial area, and the defence of impor ...

Bangladesh Air Force The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ বিমান বাহিনী, Bangladesh Biman Bahini) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The Air Force is primarily responsible for air defence of ...

Border Guards Bangladesh

''Note: When referring to martyrs, the word 'shaheed' is often put before each individual's name as a mark of respect. The list has been prepared like the declaration by the Bangladesh Gazette.

References