Staff Reporter:
Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan has said the government is fully committed to im-plementing the July Charter, alleging that a vested quarter is attempting to spread confusion over the issue.
He made the remarks yesterday while visiting injured July fighters undergoing treatment in Thailand, said a press release received here yesterday.
The minister inquired about the progress of their treatment and wished them a speedy recovery.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Thailand was present at that time.
Azam Khan said the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, through the Bangladesh Embassy in Thailand, is supervising treatment of the injured July fighters at Vejthani International Hospital in Bangkok and bearing all their medical and other expenses.
He added that the ministry is also overseeing the treatment and overall welfare of injured July fighters undergoing treatment in Russia, Singapore and Turkey, while bearing all related expenses.
Ahmed Azam Khan said the ministry is giving highest priority to the treatment and rehabilitation of those injured in the July Mass Uprising. To preserve the ideals and objectives of the July Mass Uprising, protect its history and memories, and ensure the overall welfare of July fighters and families of martyrs, the July Mass Uprising Directorate has been established under the ministry, he added.
According to the minister, the directorate is carrying out various activities, including verification, en-listment, correction and gazette publication of genuine July fighters, alongside welfare programs for July fighters and families of martyrs.
Currently, the number of July fighters enlisted in the MIS stands at 14,369, while the number of martyrs is 844.
The minister said family members of July martyrs are being provided with savings certificates worth Taka 30 lakh as a one-time grant and a monthly honorarium allowance of Taka 20,000. Depending on the severity of injuries, injured July fighters are receiving one-time savings certificates worth Taka 500,000, Taka 300,000 and Taka 100,000, along with monthly allowances of Taka 20,000, Taka 15,000 and Taka 10,000 respectively.
He said a total of 152 injured July fighters have been sent to Russia, Thailand, Singapore and Turkey for advanced treatment. Of them, 92 have returned home after completing treatment, while 60 are currently undergoing treatment abroad.
The minister also said that, as part of the rehabilitation programme, letters have been sent to the Ministry of Youth and Sports for taking necessary measures to rehabilitate 1,937 July fighters through training and employment out of 3,425 applications received through deputy commissioners.
