Dhaka, Sept. 7 -- Veteran Bangladeshi journalist Monzurul Huq has received Japan's prestigious Foreign Minister's Commendation, becoming the first foreign correspondent based in the country to earn the honour.

The award ceremony took place on September 5 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' official guest house in Tokyo, with Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi in the chair.

Huq, accompanied by his spouse, later exchanged views with the minister, who praised his decades-long efforts in fostering understanding of Japan in Bangladesh and encouraged him to continue despite health challenges.

Huq, widely known among readers of Prothom Alo, Dhaka Courier and UNB, has reported extensively on Japan for over three decades as Tokyo Bureau Ch...