Govt considers expanding healthcare support for freedom fighters

The government is considering expanding medical assistance and social security benefits to improve the welfare and living standards of freedom fighters and their families, Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan has said.

He disclosed this in Parliament on Wednesday while replying to a starred question from ruling party MP MA Hannan of Brahmanbaria-1 constituency.

Deputy Speaker Kaiser Kamal presided over the question-and-answer session.

The minister said the government currently provides monthly honorarium allowances to 99 freedom fighters in Nasirnagar upazila of Brahmanbaria.

He added that the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs was implementing various development programmes across the country to ensure the welfare of freedom fighters and their families.

Under the project titled 'Construction of Housing for Insolvent Freedom Fighters (First Revised)', houses have been allocated to 13 freedom fighters or their family members in Nasirnagar, he said.

The minister further said the current government had taken an initiative to formulate a new project titled 'Construction of Housing for Insolvent Freedom Fighters'. A proposal for the project has been sent to the Planning Commission.

If the proposed project is approved and implemented, more freedom fighters and their families will receive housing facilities, he added.

Regarding healthcare support, Ahmed Azam Khan said the government regularly allocates funds to all government hospitals and 24 specialised hospitals across the country under the 'Policy on Spending 4 Per Cent of Revenue Earned from Leasing of Markets and Bazaars for the Welfare of Freedom Fighters and Associates of the Liberation War, 2025'.

Three of the specialised hospitals covered by the policy are private institutions, he said.

Under the existing policy, freedom fighters and associates of the Liberation War are eligible for annual medical assistance of up to Tk 10,000 at upazila-level hospitals, Tk 20,000 at district-level hospitals and Tk 30,000 at divisional-level hospitals.

At specialised hospitals, they can receive up to Tk 1 lakh annually for general illnesses and up to Tk 5 lakh for complex diseases.

The spouses of freedom fighters are also covered by the medical assistance programme.

They are eligible for annual assistance of up to Tk 10,000 at upazila-level hospitals, Tk 20,000 at district-level hospitals and Tk 30,000 at divisional-level hospitals.

At specialised hospitals, spouses can receive up to Tk 50,000 annually for general illnesses and up to Tk 2 lakh for complex diseases.

The minister said the government was implementing these programmes to ensure necessary healthcare services for freedom fighters and their family members.

sks