Heroic freedom fighters to get free medical treatment: Minister

The country's heroic freedom fighters will receive 100% free medical services in all parts of the country including in districts and upazilas, said Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque on Thursday.

"Medical treatment, medicines, pathological examinations, X-rays, and everything else will be free [for freedom fighters]. We have already reached an agreement. The service will begin in January next year," he said at a Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) reception for freedom fighters and family members of the martyred.

At the function held at the Birshreshtha Shohid Motiur Rahman Park in the capital on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the country's independence, the minister said houses will be built for our heroic freedom fighters.

"We want to preserve certain places including the historic Suhrawardy Udyan as the birthplace of the Liberation War where people can go and know the history of the war," he said.

"We are also preserving the places where battles took place during the Liberation War. We are also preserving the mass killing grounds," he added.

Also, if a freedom fighter dies, he will be buried in a similarly designed grave so that he can be identified even after 50 years," said the minister.

The reception was given to around 1,000 heroic freedom fighters and family members of martyred freedom fighters who draw freedom fighter allowances from the corporation.

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh presided over the function while Advocate Kamrul Islam, Member of Parliament from Dhaka-2 constituency, and a former food minister, spoke as special guest.

Awami League Presidium member Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, lawmakers Syed Abu Hossain Babla, Kazi Monirul Islam Manu, Kazi Firoz Rashid, Haji Selim, and Rashed Khan Menon also spoke at the programme.

"I am the child of a freedom fighter. The doors of the city corporation building are always open for you as your child, not as the mayor," Taposh said addressing the freedom fighters.