Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan has announced that the government is taking steps to recognize and support families of those who were disappeared, killed, or tortured over the past 17 years. He said a new directorate would be established for these families, and they would be given state recognition through gazette notification.
He made the remarks Saturday afternoon as chief guest at a prayer and discussion session held at the National Press Club to mark the 82nd birthday of former Prime Minister the late Khaleda Zia. The event was organized by the Begum Khaleda Zia Memorial Foundation.
Ahmed Azam Khan said the government wants to do something for the families of victims. “A new directorate will be created for this purpose, and they will be given gazette recognition,” he said.
The minister said the gazette listing of July uprising victims, which was hastily closed during the interim government period, has been reopened. He said many BNP members had been removed from the freedom fighters’ list by the previous regime and that the government would evaluate and restore those who were unjustly excluded.
Attributing the current gas, fuel, and economic crises to the legacy of the previous government, he said: “The opposition is calling us a failure after just five months. But clearing 18 years of wreckage cannot be done even in 18 months. Today’s electricity, gas, and economic crises were not created by us — they were created by the previous regime.”
The minister said Prime Minister Tareque Rahman is determined to rebuild the country. He warned those involved in conspiracies against the state not to align themselves with the former Awami League regime.
He described Khaleda Zia as a historic figure both in life and in death, noting that more than 15 million people attended her funeral prayer, over 100 million watched the ceremony on television, and 150 million across the country recited prayers for her. He called her popularity an unprecedented event in world history.
BNP Chairperson’s Adviser Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, speaking as the principal discussant, described Khaleda Zia as “an unfinished chapter of history.” He recalled a personal interaction with the former prime minister during his time in prison, saying she had told him: “Your mother died while you were in jail, and my mother died while I was in jail.” He said the words brought him a sense of calm and helped him overcome his grief.
The event was chaired by Begum Khaleda Zia Memorial Foundation Chairman M Jahangir Alam. Special guests included Members of Parliament Shirin Sultana and Selina Sultana Nishita; BNP National Executive Committee member Abu Naser Muhammad Rahmatullah; and Farmers’ Wing Co-Chairman Jamal Uddin Khan Milon.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report