The Ministry of Housing and Public Works has taken up a project to provide free flats in Dhaka for those seriously injured in the July uprising. The cost of building 1,560 flats for the injured will be Tk1,344 crore.
The National Housing Authority will build the flats on government land at Mirpur 9 by 2029.
These flats will be 1,250 square feet, having two bedrooms, a drawing room, a living room, a dining room, a kitchen and three toilets. There will be one room only for the injured person, who is disabled or has lost eyesight. That room will have all kinds of facilities for them.
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Earlier, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works had taken up a separate project to provide 804 free flats to the families of martyrs in the July Uprising at Mirpur 14 at a cost of Tk762 crore. Each flat will have an area of โโ1,355sq-ft.
The July Directorate, the National Housing Authority and the Ministry of Public Works will decide on this list. The flats will be provided according to the severity of their injuries.
According to the government notification, 493 people have been declared โextremely critically injuredโ in category A and 908 declared โcritically injuredโ in category B.
In addition, 834 people have been declared martyrs so far, though this list contains fake names and false claims. Each family has received a one-time payment. This money is being given through savings certificates. In addition, allowances are being given to the families of martyrs and injured people every month.
While the Yunus-led interim government has enacted a law and announced special benefits or quotas for the martyrsโ families and the injured, criticisms are mounting due to the gross irregularities in preparing the lists, filing false and fictitious cases against the Awami League and awarding indemnity for the perpetrators who committed murders and arson.
There has been outrage over the lack of proper treatment of many injured in the last 11 months. However, the Awami League government ensured free treatment for all the injured, regardless of their political affiliation.
Moreover, many political leaders and student coordinators have admitted their involvement in police murders, attacks on police stations, and arson in government buildings since July 18.
Islami Chhatra Shibir has claimed that they activated their countrywide units as coordination teams of the anti-quota movement, drafted the key demands, managed social media campaigns, and occupied 10 points of Dhaka since morning on August 5.
Special benefits and privileges
In May, the government issued an ordinance providing a legal framework for welfare initiatives to rehabilitate the families of those killed and those injured.
Each of the martyrsโ families is being granted a one-time payment of Tk30 lakh, in addition to a monthly allowance of Tk20,000. Of this amount, Tk10 lakh is being disbursed in the current (2024โ25) fiscal year, while the remaining Tk20 lakh will be given in the next fiscal year (2025โ26).
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The injured have been divided into three categories. All of them have the right to receive free medical care and rehabilitation. Category A warriors will get a one-time grant of Tk5 lakh and a monthly allowance of Tk20,000. In addition to a monthly allowance of Tk15,000, Category B warriors will receive a one-time grant of Tk3 lakh. Category C warriors will get rehabilitation and priority in government jobs.
On June 2, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed proposed an allocation of Tk405.20 crore in the national budget for FY 2025-26 for the families of the martyrs and those who sustained injuries.
Under the ordinance, official lists of martyrs and injured individuals will be recognised as legally binding. Earlier, the government published the gazette of the 834 martyrs on January 15 and another list of 10,642 injured on February 27.
The rehabilitation support includes employment opportunities, skill-based training aligned with victimsโ capabilities, access to education, medical care, and low-interest loans for self-employment.
The ordinance includes penalties for fraudulent claims: two years in prison and a fine of Tk2 lakh or twice the amount of the received benefits.
According to media reports, at least five fake martyrs have been identified in the last few weeks. Moreover, officials have identified more than 70 people who fraudulently used fake documents to be included in the list of injured.
July Memorial Foundation officials say they have written to the government to remove the names of 19 people from the Health Ministryโs MIS list. If scrutinised properly, another 1,000-1,500 fake injuries could be detected, they said.
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