BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman has said that if the party forms the government, a separate department will be set up under the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs to look after the families of those martyred and injured during the July 2024 mass uprising.
“We cannot bring back those we have lost. But the state must take responsibility for those left behind,” he said, adding that those who sacrificed their lives to achieve independence in 1971 and those who fought to protect freedom and sovereignty in 2024 are part of the same tradition of struggle.
Tarique made the remarks on Sunday during a views-exchange meeting with the family members of martyrs and critically injured victims of the July Uprising.
The meeting took place at the Krishibid Institution auditorium in the capital.
His wife, Zubaida Rahman, was seated alongside the family members of martyrs. At one point, after a mother had shown photographs of her martyred son, Zubaida was left visibly emotional. Earlier, the mother had met with Tarique.
As family members shared accounts of their grief and suffering, many broke down, enveloping the venue in an atmosphere charged with emotion.
Soon, Tarique was seen stepping down from the stage to listen to the pleas of the injured, speaking directly with family members and offering words of consolation.
He said that those martyred or injured in the mass uprising had a clear objective: To build a democratic Bangladesh that was self-reliant and safe. As such, to realise that goal, the next national election is “extremely, extremely important” to realise that goal, Tarique reiterated.
“If we fail to establish a safe and democratic Bangladesh, stories of sorrow and mourning will continue,” he said. “Instead, all democracy-loving people must unite. Only then can the story of democracy’s victory be written.”
Tarique said BNP had earlier formed the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs to ensure the welfare of freedom fighters and their families, adding that, should BNP return to power, a separate department would be created under the Liberation War ministry to care for the families of July martyrs and fighters.
Independence was achieved in 1971, he said, and that independence was defended again in 2024.
He warned democracy-loving citizens to remain alert against attempts to turn movements to protect freedom into tools for narrow party interests.
The programme, he said, heard harrowing accounts of the suffering of families of those killed or injured in the 2014 movement to protect independence, noting that no form of compensation could begin to erase such pain.
Support for the injured, he said, must come in two ways: First, by ensuring the highest possible medical treatment through state initiatives; and second, by fulfilling the purpose for which these individuals took to the streets, that is, by guaranteeing political and economic rights for all citizens, regardless of party or ideology.
The BNP leader said over 1,400 people were martyred and around 30,000 injured in the July mass uprising alone. Among them, around 500 lost one or both eyes, while many others were left permanently disabled.
It was the courage shown during the July Uprising that forced the fascist clique not only to relinquish state power but also to flee the country, he added.
Recalling a speech delivered last August, he mentioned several individuals martyred or maimed in the movement, including students, professionals and workers from across the country, many of whom had lost entire limbs. Not even six-year-old Ria Gope was not spared.
The BNP chairman prayed for the eternal peace of the souls of the 2024 martyrs and for the speedy recovery of the injured.
The views-exchange meeting was chaired by BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, with Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi attending as special guest.
The programme was moderated by Assistant Office Secretary Abdus Sattar Patwari, while Amra BNP Poribar Convener Atikur Rahman Ruman and family members of martyrs and injured individuals also spoke.
