Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today expressed her firm conviction that no freedom fighter (FF) would lead miserable life as Awami League is in power, inaugurating handing over the keys of 5000 houses to the war heroes in five districts.

She also asked the authorities concerned to unearth the untraceable boudyo bhumis (mass killing grounds) aimed at preserving those to let the young generation know the true history of Bangladesh and for whose sacrifice Bangladesh had achieved independence.

“It can no longer happen that freedom fighters will beg for alms or ply rickshaws or lead miserable lives as I, daughter of the Father of the Nation, am in power,” she said.

The prime minister virtually joined the programme of handing over keys of “Bir Nibash”, houses built for insolvent veteran FFs from her official Ganabhaban residence here.

The Liberation War Affairs Ministry organised the programme at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital while Kishoreganj, Gopalganj, Gazipur, Madaripur and Narail districts were connected to it.

She said her government is giving houses to insolvent freedom fighters and arranging lives and livelihoods so they can lead a dignified life.

After handing over the keys of Bir Nibash to FFs, she said, “I’m really delighted after handing over keys of 5000 Bir Nibash to freedom fighters. The houses will be built for remaining other FFs.”

She said the construction of 17660 more houses for the FFs are in various stages, adding, “I hope that the construction of 30,000 Bir Nibash will be completed by this year.”

She also urged the countrymen to remain alert against the evil forces so they can’t take Bangladesh into their grip again and vowed to run the state towards prosperity with the spirit of the Liberation War.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq and its Secretary Khaja Miah spoke at the function.

On behalf of the prime minister, deputy commissioners of Kishoreganj, Gopalganj, Gazipur, Madaripur and Narail districts handed over the keys of the “Bir Nibash” to freedom fighters.

President of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Liberation War Affairs Ministry Shajahan Khan was present on the dais.

A video documentary on “Bir Nibash” was screened at the programme.

Each of the single-storey ‘Bir Nibash’ having two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a corridor, is being built with over Tk 14.10 lakh and is painted red-and-green in compliance with the country’s national flag.

Besides, there are a cemented yard next to the kitchen, a tube-well, a bathroom, and livestock and poultry sheds.

Earlier on March 16 in 2021, the government had approved a Tk 4,123 crore project for constructing 30,000 homes for insolvent freedom fighters and family members of the martyred and deceased war heroes to uplift their socioeconomic condition.

Describing briefly her government measures in the last 14 years for the country’s overall development, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is marching towards prosperity at indomitable pace and none can stop it.

She said Bangladesh has now become a developing nation from the least developed one for her government planned and timely measures and it would be a developed, prosperous and Smart Bangladesh by 2041.

“We will build Bangladesh as a non-communal country with the spirit of the Liberation War,” she said.

About her government measures for ensuring decent life to the freedom fighters, she said they have arranged allowance of Tk 20,000 per month for the freedom fighters and their families alongside various festival bonuses that include the Bangla New Year bonus.

The prime minister said they also have arranged treatment for the war heroes and their free transportation alongside giving special scholarship to their family inmates.

“For which, the worthy sons of the soil nowadays can say they’re freedom fighters and their family members can say they’re coming from freedom fighters’ family with keeping their heads high,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said her government is working to ensure that the family members of the FFs can lead dignified lives generation after generation even following their death.

The prime minister said the AL government is not only honouring the local freedom fighters but also the foreigners who fought for Bangladesh’s independence particularly the Indian military personnel and stood by the country during the War of Liberation in 1971.

She asked all concerned to find out the bodhya bhumi (mass killing grounds of freedom fighters), which have yet to be traced and preserve those as the people can know about them who sacrificed for Bangladesh independence.

The prime minister said over 20,000 graveyards of the freedom fighter have so far been preserved.

“We have already built Liberation War memorials and museums in 360 places of 293 upazilas. We’re building a separate Liberation War Complex in each of the Upazila across the country where there will be a museum and a memorial inscribing the names of freedom fighters,” she said.

She added that it is not possible to find out the name of every freedom fighter of the localities.

“We’re preserving the places as the people from generation after generation can remember those for whom we had achieved the country’s independence,” she said.

The prime minister said they have also preserved two places – one, the place, from where, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave the historic March 7 speech and other place, where the Pakistani occupation forces surrendered to the allied forces — aimed at putting forth the true history of the Liberation War before the people.

The March 7 speech of Bangabandhu was banned during the tenure of Ziaur Rahman, his wife Khaleda Zia and HM Ershad, she said.

But, the attempts of erasing the name of Bangabandhu and his March 7 speech from the history went in vein as the speech was registered in the list of world’s important documentary heritage and became the best speech in 2500 years for its inspirational aspect that led the people from all strata of life to join the War of Liberation, she added.

The prime minister recalled the contribution of the Father of the Nation for the FFs immediately after the Liberation War, saying that Bangabandhu arranged treatment for the injured freedom fighters including the Biranganas and ensured their rehabilitation.

She said Bangabandhu formed a kallyan trust for the freedom fighters and allowed running 32 mills and factories (after making those nationalised) and some other institutions under the trust to ensure a dignified life for the FFs.