The government has decided to increase the allowances for gallantry award-receiving civil freedom fighters.
A proposal to increase the allowances of 217 civil freedom fighters from the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs was approved at a regular cabinet meeting held at the secretariat on Monday, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters that there were 676 gallantry award-receiving freedom fighters (Bir Shreshtha, Bir Uttam, Bir Bikram and Bir Protik) in the country, of them 217 were civilians and the rest from different security forces.
There are seven Bir Shreshtha, 18 Bir Uttam, 175 Bir Bikrom and 426 Bir Protik.
Mosharraf said: “After the Liberation War, the then government fixed the allowances for the freedom fighters considering the financial and market price, which were Tk200, Tk150, Tk125 and Tk100 for Bir Shreshthas, Bir Uttams, Bir Bikroms and Bir Protiks respectively, which however are inadequate for the present time.
“Besides, the allowances for gallantry award-receiving military and uniformed forces’ freedom fighters were increased in 2011. But, the allowances of civilian freedom fighters were not enhanced, which was discriminatory.”
“So the government has decided to enhance the allowances for the four categories of civilian gallantry award receiving freedom fighters. They will now receive allowances of Tk12,000, Tk10,000, Tk8,000 and Tk6,000 respectively,” he added.
The cabinet secretary said along with the freedom fighters, the spouses or children of dead freedom fighters will also receive the allowance from now on.
Meanwhile, the cabinet on Monday approved an amendment proposal of Vested Property Return (Amendment) Ordinance 2013 to extend the last date of application to get back the vested properties in the country.
According to the amendment, the applicants who want to apply to the government to get back their properties would be able to do so until December 31.
The cabinet secretary said as the date of the application has already passed and in most cases the aggrieved person could not apply for valid problems, the government has decided to extend the date of application.
The extension will be issued as an ordinance after the law ministry’s examination as there is no parliament session at present, he added.
