The government on Saturday disbursed Tk 7.70 crore to the families of 77 people killed in the 2013 Shapla Square rally of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh and the 2021 protest against Indian prime minister Narendra Modi鈥檚 visit to Bangladesh.
The Local Government Division organised the cheque distribution ceremony at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka.
Local government adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain attended as chief guest and religious affairs adviser AFM Khalid Hossain as special guest.
The government distributed Tk 10 lakh each to 58 families of those killed in the crackdown on Hefazat on May 5, 2013, and to 19 families of those killed in the anti-Modi protests in March 2021, said a Dhaka South City Corporation release.
Asif Mahmud said, 鈥楾he blood of the martyrs never goes in vain. Today鈥檚 recognition of the people who sacrificed their lives in the historic Shapla Square and anti-Modi demonstration is a testament to that.鈥�
He announced that the names of the Shapla Square 鈥榤artyrs鈥� would be inscribed at the site so that none could erase them from history.
Khalid Hossain said the financial assistance marked the beginning of the process of recognising the two significant events.
Hefazat amir Shah Muhibbullah Babunagari said, 鈥楾he adviser鈥檚 noble initiative has brought honour to the alem community across Bangladesh.鈥�
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Mia Golam Parwar, AB Party chair Mujibur Rahman Bhuiyan Manju, Khelafat Majlish secretary general Mamunul Haque, Gono Odhikar Parishad president Nurul Haque Nur, Hefazat-e-Islam secretary general Sazidur Rahman and Dhaka South City Corporation administrator Md Shahjahan Mia also attended.
On May 5, 2013, widespread violence erupted in Shapla Square during a rally organised by Hefazat to press home a 13-point demand. The rally culminated in a midnight 鈥榝lush-out operation鈥� by law enforcers to clear the area, sparking clashes that spread beyond Dhaka to seven districts, including Narayanganj, Bagerhat and Brahmanbaria.
In March 26鈥�27, 2021, demonstrations in Bangladesh against Modi鈥檚 visit, during celebrations marking the golden jubilee of the country鈥檚 independence and the birth centenary of its founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, led to clashes between protesters and the police, leaving several people dead. Modi arrived on March 26 and left in the evening on March 27.
