Govt to raise allowance for freedom fighters given gallantry awards
Of all freedom fighters given gallantry awards, seven are Bir Shrestha (posthumous), 68 are Bir Uttam, 175 are Bir Bikram and 426 are Bir Pratik
After increasing the monthly allowance for freedom fighters, this time the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has taken initiative to increase the allowance for wartime gallantry award-recipient freedom fighters or their family members.
In February, the allowance for freedom fighters was raised 66%, from Tk12,000 to Tk20,000, but that of gallantry award-recipient freedom fighters, including Bir Uttam, Bir Bikram, Bir Pratik, and the family members of Bir Shrestha, was not raised.
And so the ministry has decided to increase the allowance of gallantry award-recipient freedom fighters proportionately, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque told The Business Standard.
"We have written to the prime minister to increase the allowances proportionately. It will be decided as per her instructions," the minister added.
Of all freedom fighters who received gallantry awards, seven are Bir Shrestha (posthumous), 68 are Bir Uttam, 175 are Bir Bikram, and 426 are Bir Pratik.
According to the policy of distributing honorary allowances to freedom fighters passed in 2016, the families of the martyred gallantry award-recipient freedom fighters with the title of Bir Shrestha get a monthly honorarium of Tk30,000.
Those awarded the title of Bir Uttam get an honorarium of Tk25,000, the Bir Bikram get Tk20,000, and Bir Pratik freedom fighters get Tk15,000 per month.
On 12 October, the Standing Committee on the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs recommended increasing the honorarium of gallantry award-recipient freedom fighters at a meeting, and the committee agreed.
