Bangladesh would not be an independent nation today if it were not for the unwavering courage and dedication of our personnel in the armed forces, police, Ansar-VDP, and BGB.
These heroes answered the call of duty without hesitation, and put their lives on the line in doing so -- no doubt they had full knowledge that they would be tried and executed if they failed in their mission.
These brave fighters came together for a united purpose, from all walks of life and from every social stratum. But that sense of unity, compassion, sharing, and sacrifice did not last for long after the war, as many of our freedom fighters wallowed in penury along with their families.
While we can never fully repay those who bravely fought in the Liberation War, it is our duty to support them in their need.
The government, over the years, has always tried to support our veterans, but, as a relatively poor nation, they were rather constrained in that regard.
Now, as Bangladesh’s national incomes have increased considerably and with it our capacity to spend, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has decided to use that increased capacity to provide more financial assistance to our heroes.
She made the announcement on Armed Forces Day this past Tuesday, where she paid her respects to 1971 veteran forces’ members and their families. Starting this January, the amount and types of allowances will be greater and more people will be eligible to receive allowances than before.
We applaud the prime minister for her commitment to help and honour veterans in the military, and to scale up the allowances in keeping with Bangladesh’s newly-earned status as a middle income country.