Allowance of war heroes doubled

We commend the government for its decision to raise the monthly allowance by two to threefold of the decorated and wounded freedom fighters. It is a step in the right direction as whatever these valiant sons and daughters of this soil and their family members had been getting was a meagre amount. This will greatly ameliorate the condition of the wounded freedom fighters, particularly, many of whom are passing their days in pecuniary privation.   

Since assuming office in 2009 the Awami League government under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina has taken a raft of measures to gradually improve the condition of the Freedom Fighters. A total 669 awarded freedom fighters as well as the families of seven Bir Shreshthos and around 12,500 injured freedom fighters are going to get the benefits. These are the people who have given us a country to call our own. After all, the nation will not be able to materialise the dreams of the martyrs of the Liberation War if we cannot even take care of our freedom fighters. In this light, doubling their allowance is indeed an acknowledgement of the sacrifice that they had made for this country, although nothing is a big enough recompense for their valour and courage. 

Having said that, we believe that the government's responsibilities do not end here. A mammoth 1.02 lakh applications for freedom fighters' certificates are awaiting approval, a large number of them remain out of the government's safety net. Among them are the dead whose family members are living in abject poverty.  Also, the administration should secure the disbursement process against likely malpractice.