Dhaka:The government has launched a new initiative to extend state recognition to individuals who were injured during the July 2024 mass uprising but have not yet been officially recognized as 'July Fighters' in the government gazette.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has instructed relevant authorities to issue a public notice inviting applications from these unlisted injured participants. The objective is to include them in the official list and provide them the recognition they deserve.
The public notice will call for applications from individuals who sustained injuries during the uprising, received hospital treatment, or are still undergoing treatment but have not been officially gazetted. The ministry's July Mass Uprising Wing issued a letter on November 10, emphasizing this initiative.
The letter disclosed that during the uprising, 842 people lost their lives. To date, the government has recognized 990 injured participants under Category A, 1,014 under Category B, and 11,964 under Category C. However, applications from 931 individuals remain pending at the upazila and district levels, and many others have yet to be listed despite their injuries.
The announcement recalled that on February 10, the previous government instructed all deputy commissioners to halt forwarding new applications for inclusion of July martyrs and fighters, pending further instructions. Consequently, applications submitted to various local offices were not processed further.
Applicants are required to provide their national identity cards or birth registration certificates, permanent and present addresses, and documents proving their injuries during the uprising. These submissions will serve as the basis for their potential inclusion in the official list.
The letter, signed by Deputy Secretary Dr. Md Zahirul Islam, requested the Director General of the July Mass Uprising Directorate and all deputy commissioners to post the public notice on their respective websites. The initiative aims to offer an opportunity for the unlisted injured participants to finally receive state recognition.