The Ministry of Finance yesterday approved the release of Tk637.80 crore to support the families of those martyred in the July uprising and to ensure adequate medical treatment for the injured protesters.
The ministry had begun the process of allocating the funds, with disbursements expected to start on 10 January 2025, said Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan.
“The entire amount will be provided as grants. However, it won’t be possible to disburse the full amount at once. A portion will be provided now, and the remaining amount will come from the next fiscal year’s budget, disbursed after June,” he added.
In a letter to Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, Power and Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan and ICT Adviser Md Nahid Islam have expressed public dissatisfaction over the delay in disbursing funds to the families of martyrs from the July uprising, despite a decision made a month and a half ago.
The decision, taken during an October advisory council meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, promised Tk30 lakh for each martyr’s family.
In the letter, written on official pad of the Ministry of Power and Energy seen by The Business Standard, the advisers requested the prompt release of Tk637.80 crore to provide financial assistance to the families of the martyrs and cover medical expenses for the injured.
At the advisory council meeting on 17 October, Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan and Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Mahfuz Alam had announced the decision to allocate Tk30 lakh per martyr’s family.
The letter signed by Fouzul Kabir Khan and Nahid Islam detailed that 826 individuals were martyred during the uprising, requiring Tk30 lakh per family, totalling Tk247.80 crore. Additionally, they requested Tk290 crore for aid to 15,000 injured individuals and Tk100 crore for medical treatment, both domestic and international.
On 21 December, the special cell on mass uprisings published a draft list of martyrs and injured individuals from the July-August protests. The first-phase list includes 858 martyrs and 11,551 injured individuals.
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