<i>Disgusting, disgraceful</i>

Funeral grant for freedom fighters rarely reach families in time

21 March 2009, 18:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Nilphamari

Freedom fighter Afiz Uddin, 63, struggling hard to survive with his present job of rickshaw-pulling, finds it hard to console himself with the prospect of any posthumous honour. Photo: STAR

The government initiative for helping families of insolvent freedom fighters through monetary grant for their funeral turns nuisance for the bereaved people who have to wait long tiring months or years to get the 'aid of honour'. Terming the dilatory and complicated process to get the grant as 'disgraceful', freedom fighters in the district have urged immediate steps for handing over the grant money to the families of deceased freedom fighters on the funeral day. It would save the needy freedom fighters' families from the disgrace of moving from door to door for help, they said. As per a government decision taken in 2005, the district or upazila administration would arrange monetary grant for their burial or cremation and other religious rituals of the insolvent deceased freedom fighters, said freedom fighters and sources at district administration. Several members of deceased freedom fighters' families said they had to manage funeral expenditure with the help of neighbours and villagers as they did not have the means to do so. The funeral grant was given after a long time of the burial or cremation, they said, adding that they had to submit vouchers of burial expenditure and it followed long and complicated process of verification in several steps by upazila Muktijoddha Sangshad commander, upazila nirbahi officer and district administration. After freedom fighter Jamir Uddin Mia of Bazitpara village of Sadar upazila died at the age of 65 on April 16 2006, his poor family members moved from door to door to manage the cost for his funeral and other religious rituals. After burial, upazila Muktijoddha Sangshad officials persuaded his wife Morjina Begum to submit application with vouchers to get the funeral grant. “After two years of untold harassment in different offices, I got grant of only Tk 5,000 although I prayed for actual expenditure of Tk 10875,” Morjina said in a choked voice. “I did not submit any prayer for getting the grant as the process is not honourable. My husband joined the Liberation War out of patriotism only,” Saleha Begum, wife of deceased freedom fighter Sajir Uddin (57) of Kishoreganj upazila, said. “As I live a miserable life when alive, what is the use of posthumous honour for me?” remarked Afaz Uddin, a veteran freedom fighter who now pulls rickshaw for livelihood. “Deputy commissioners can give instant monetary assistance to the victims of flood, fire incidents and other calamities from the disaster management fund. Why should they not be empowered to give freedom fighters funeral grant on the spot?” Shamsul Islam, former district commander of Muktijoddha Sangsad, said.