Efforts underway to bring remaining July fighters under allowance scheme

Prime Minister’s Defence Adviser Brig Gen (retd) Dr AKM Shamsul Islam said on Saturday that efforts are underway to bring July fighters who are not receiving monthly allowances under the scheme.

“Most of the gazetted July fighters are receiving monthly allowances in three categories. The process of bringing those who are not receiving allowances under the scheme is underway,” he said as the chief guest at a programme organised to commemorate the July uprising.

The Retired Armed Forces Officers’ Welfare Association (RAOWA) organised the programme at its auditorium in Mohakhali, 

Dhaka, which was attended by family members of martyred July fighters, survivors, and incumbent and retired senior officers of the armed forces.

The seriously injured July fighters were sent to Thailand, Singapore, Turkey and Russia for better treatment, and a large proportion of them have returned home after completing their treatment, said Shamsul Islam.

“Data on the martyrs and survivors have already been compiled, and a portion of them have been included under the training and rehabilitation scheme.”

This work will continue, he added.

Shamsul Islam also said that Bangladesh cannot move forward by neglecting and denying the July uprising. “1971 gave us our independence. July has taught us good governance and people-centred social management,” he said.

Brig Gen (retd) MA Haque, chairman of RAOWA, and several senior retired military officers spoke on the occasion, while family members of two martyred July fighters and two survivors spoke, highlighting the various difficulties they are facing.

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Blinded in July, left to bear the burden

According to the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, the government has included 14,369 martyrs and survivors of the July Uprising in the gazette, and of these, 13,344 fighters or their families are receiving monthly allowances in three categories A, B and C – Tk10,000, Tk15,000 and Tk20,000, respectively.

A total of 152 fighters were sent to the four foreign countries for treatment; 102 of them have returned home, while the remaining 50 are still undergoing treatment there.

Data on 3,241 families of martyrs and survivors have been compiled. Of these, a list of 1,937 has been sent to the Ministry of Youth and Sports for training and rehabilitation.