"War of Liberation is the greatest event in our history of thousand years. Freedom fighters are the greatest sons of all ages of our country. We feel proud of them, build our golden future," he said at a reception in honour of family members of 'Bir Sreshthas', award-recipient freedom fighters and their heirs.

The reception was organised at the Dhaka Cantonment on the occasion of the Armed Forces Day.

"The importance and significance of November 21 in our great War of Liberation is vast," he said.

"On that day in 1971, members of the Army, Navy and Air Force joined the freedom fighters and made an united onslaught on the Pakistani occupation forces. Finally, within a few days, the occupation forces were compelled to surrender unconditionally on December 16, 1971."

He recalled the contributions of the brave martyrs, who made supreme sacrifice in the War of Liberation, and prayed for salvation of the departed souls of the martyred freedom fighters.

Iajuddin mentioned that the government has undertaken various measures for the welfare of the freedom fighters.

These included creation of the Liberation War Affairs Ministry, providing state honorarium to the families of 'Bir Shreshthas', construction of memorial plaques on the graves of `Bir Shreshthas, honorarium and other facilities for the freedom fighters and the families of the martyred freedom fighters and injured freedom fighters.

He said the remains of Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Ft Lt Motiur Rahman was brought home from Pakistan and laid to eternal rest on June 24, 2006 with full state honour at the graveyard reserved for the freedom fighters in Mirpur.

Besides, the remains of Bir Shreshtha Sipahi Shaheed Hamidur Rahman will also be brought home from Indian State of Tripura, he added.

Iajuddin said a plan has been taken up for constructing 1,000 to 1,500 flats for rehabilitating the freedom fighters on the land of the freedom fighters' complex.

He said Bangladesh Freedom Fighters' Welfare Trust provides facilities to the injured freedom fighters that include grants for education and marriage of the children of freedom fighters, festival bonus, feast allowance, medical expenses for treatment in government hospitals, free treatment for wheelchair-users and ID cards.

For the children of the freedom fighters, there is 30 percent quota in the recruitment in government, semi-government and autonomous organisations and five percent quota in admission to educational institutions, he added.