Son of martyred freedom fighter awaits allowance in despair

"My father Bocharam Das is a martyred freedom fighter, recognised by the government. But we are not getting any facilities given to the martyred freedom fighter's family by the government," said Monaram Das, 51, son of the martyred freedom fighter.

 "For the last 11 years, I have been appealing to the ministry concerned and local administration but got no response due to some unknown reason,'' he said.

"We only get invitation letter on Victory Day and Independence Day and except for the invitation letter, we have not been entitled to any facilities,' he added.

"My father Bocharam Das along with ten other freedom fighters was martyred while fighting against the Pakistani occupation forces in Gaibandha's Trimohini Ghat area during the country's liberation war,' said Monaram Das, adding they didn't get his father body.

The martyred freedom fighter Bocharam Das's lone son Monaram Das, and his family of five members are struggling for livelihood, living in a small house of government's Sonapukur Abasan at Daikhowa village of Lalmonirhat's Hatibandha upazila.

Monaram runs his family catching fish but nowadays he is almost unemployed due to scarcity of fish in local water bodies.

Monaram Das was one and half years old when his father Bocharam Das joined the country's Liberation War in 1971. Bocharam Das could not return to his little baby as he was martyred during the Liberation War.

After some years of independence, Monaram became an orphan as his mother Suniti Bala Das died without getting a treatment. Since then, poverty has become his lifetime companion.

Martyred freedom fighter Bocharam Das's co-fighter Noor Ali said, "Martyred freedom fighter Bocharam Das is recognised only in papers but not in reality as his only son Monaram Das isn't getting any government facilities."

"We are working to get government facilities for him and his family members," he said adding they do not know why Monaram is not getting government facilities entitled to freedom fighter's ward.  'Bocharam Das was a frontline fighter in the battle field during the liberation war in 1971,' he added.

Monaram Das said taking help of his father's co-fighters he appealed to the ministry concerned for getting government facilities and he has been assured that he will start enjoying government facilities by this current year 2021. ''But I don't know when I will get result,' he said adding he got such promises earlier as well.

Hatibandha Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Samiul Amin said martyred freedom fighter Bocharam Das had all kinds of documents and was enlisted in both the Indian list and Bangladesh list.

"Our recommendation was sent to the ministry concerned for providing all kinds of government facilities to Monaram Das, the lone son of martyred freedom fighter Bocharam Das six months ago," the UNO said adding that he is also communicating to the ministry in this regard.