Budget FY22: Freedom fighters' monthly honorarium to be Tk20,000

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Thursday proposed increasing the monthly honorarium of freedom fighters to Tk20,000 from Tk12,000 to improve their socio-economic condition.

While presenting the national budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year in the parliament, the minister also set aside Tk1,920 crore in this regard.

"In February last, the honorable prime minister announced to increase the monthly honorarium of freedom fighters to Tk20,000. Accordingly, the honorarium of the valiant freedom fighters will be increased from Tk12,000 to Tk20,000 next fiscal year,” the minister said.

Stating that freedom fighters are the finest sons of the soil, he said the nation will remember them forever with honour for their precious contribution towards the freedom of the motherland.

Kamal said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated in February last the system of providing honorarium and other allowances for all the valiant freedom fighters through the G2P system directly from the Bangladesh Bank to the beneficiary banks by creating the Management Information System containing a complete database for freedom fighters.

Besides, he said work has started for building 30,000 "Bir Nibas" for the freedom fighters at a cost of Tk4,122 crore to ensure their safe accommodation.

“To improve the socio-economic condition of the valiant freedom fighters, construction of Muktijoddha Complex in every district and upazila of the country is at the final stage,” the minister added.

Currently, the families of martyred war heroes are getting Tk30,000 per month while that of war-wounded ones Tk25,000.

The families of Bir Srestha, the highest gallantry award winners in the Liberation War, are receiving Tk35,000 while that of Bir Uttams Tk25,000.

Bir Bikram and Bir Pratik gallantry award winners are getting Tk20,000 and Tk15,000 respectively.

Wounded freedom fighters get free medical care and those without homes get housing.

Freedom fighters also get five festival bonuses from the government.

On March 25, Liberation War Affairs published a partial list of freedom fighters containing 147,537 names while in May 9 it has published the final list (second part) of the names of the heroic freedom fighters including an additional 6,988 names.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque while publishing the partial list said that the final list of freedom fighters will be published by June 30 after further scrutiny of the list of the freedom fighters who are getting allowances.