A Correspondent:
Rangpur: Social Welfare Advisor Sharmin S Murshid yesterday said one lakh heroic freedom fighters of 1971 did not get justice during the post-independence period.
“Among them, 90 percent were rural boys and girls. They had to return to villages empty-handed and barefoot. They were not used to build the country which was unfair. But in 2024, the heroic children will be identified and given proper dignity,” she said.
Sharmin said this at a function, organized by July Shaheed Smrity Foundation, to hand over cheques to the families of martyrs of Rangpur division in the July- August anti-discrimination student movement as the chief guest.
CEO of July Shaheed Smrity Foundation Mahbubur Rahman Snigdho, the brother of the deceased stu-dent protester Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho, moderated the function held at the District Shilpakala Academy auditorium.
The ceremony began with the national anthem and a moment of silence in memory of those martyred in the July 2024 Revolution.
Sharmin Murshid, also Women and Children Affairs Adviser, the history of Bangladesh is the result of the struggle of the student-people.
“We got independence, a country and a flag in 1971. But the dream of independence was not fulfilled because equality, justice and accountability were not established,” she said.
The Advisor to the interim government said the list of the injured and martyred in the July-August up-rising is being prepared transparently.
Sharmin said, “Some people may think that by telling the story of Shaheed Abu Sayeed, we are forget-ting other martyrs, it’s wrong. We are not doing this.
Shaheed Abu Sayeed can be a symbol and he represents everyone.”
“We may be wrong in our words and actions, so you (people) will get angry with us, criticize us and even scold us. But do not turn your back. We want to move forward by correcting mistakes,” she added.
At the event, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter said Shaheed Abu Sayeed of Rangpur has made Bangladesh known as a symbol of courage all over the world. He created an awakening among the people across the globe.”
“Even if everyone forgets the July-August uprising, they will never forget the families of the martyrs,” she said, and called on the young society to uphold the independence achieved in exchange of blood of the martyrs.
Later, the Shaheed Smrity Foundation’s financial assistance cheques of Taka five lakh were distributed to each of the families of 44 martyrs out of the 65 people who were martyred in Rangpur division in the 2024 mass uprising.
General Secretary of July Shaheed Smrity Foundation Md Sarjis Alam, Rangpur Range DIG Aminul Islam, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rabiul Faisal, Superintendent of Police Mohammad Sharif Uddin and Shamsi Ara Zaman Koli, mother of martyred journalist Tahir Zaman Priyo, also addressed the function.
