The High Court yesterday declared illegal the BNP-led four-party alliance government's halt of state honorarium and other facilities to 366 war-wounded freedom fighters.

The HC bench of Justice ABM Khairul Haque and Mohammad Momtajuddin Ahmed delivered the verdict after injured freedom fighters filed two separate writ petitions in this regard.

The petitioners' lawyer Syed Haider Ali told The Daily Star that following the HC verdict his clients would get the state honorarium and other facilities from now on.

He said the High Court, on a similar writ petition, had declared illegal similar move to stop state honorarium and other facilities to 167 injured freedom fighters and the Supreme Court also upheld the High Court verdict.

Those 167 freedom fighters are now getting the honorarium and other facilities, he said, adding that monthly minimum honorarium for a freedom fighter is Tk 3,000 and a maximum of Tk 18,000.

Syed Haider Ali said the BNP-led four-party alliance government in April, 2003 stopped paying the state honorarium and other facilities to the petitioners without giving any reason.

The freedom fighters including Bazlur Rahman and Badshah Miah filed two separate writ petitions in April and July, 2008 with the HC challenging the legality of the government move.

The HC had issued two separate rules upon the government to explain as to why its stopping of payment of state honorarium and other facilities should not be declared illegal.

After holding a long hearing on the rule, the court yesterday declared the verdict.

Deputy Attorney General Mostafa Zaman Islam stood for the state.