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The July Shaheed Smrity Foundation (JSSF), established to support the families of those killed and injured during the July uprising, is facing a severe financial crisis amid what its officials describe as a lack of government support, poor coordination with state agencies and internal challenges.
Established during the tenure of the interim government, the foundation has been providing financial assistance, medical treatment and rehabilitation support to the families of the martyrs and injured victims of the uprising.
On 17 September 2024, then Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus donated Tk100 crore to the foundation from the Chief Adviser’s Relief and Welfare Fund.
The organisation also received Tk5 crore each from Bangladesh Bank and an anonymous donor, along with public contributions, taking its initial fund to about Tk120 crore.
According to foundation officials, the money has been used to support the families of 822 martyrs and 6,127 injured people, while a substantial amount was spent on complex surgeries, including eye, limb and nerve operations.
Despite this, the foundation says it still needs another Tk280 crore to provide assistance to 8,243 eligible beneficiaries.
Mohammad Sohel Miah, general manager (HR and administration), said the organisation is struggling to meet even its basic operating expenses.
“We have not been able to pay the rent for our office for the past year. Land was allocated for a permanent office during the interim government, but we do not have the money to construct a building,” he told Daily Sun.
The foundation pays around Tk1.5 lakh a month in rent for its Shahbagh office and spends about Tk4 crore annually on administration, including salaries, office maintenance, transport and other operational costs.
Sohel said the organisation has been unable to pay staff salaries for the past six months. Its 38 employees last received salaries in March for the month of February.
Foundation General Secretary Shamsi Ara Zaman blamed the crisis on the government’s lack of support.
"We have sought financial assistance from every possible source but returned empty-handed. We have not seen any sincerity from the government," she said.
She alleged that despite securing appointments, foundation representatives were not granted meetings with the minister concerned. According to Shamsi Ara, although the government verbally indicated that funds would be allocated in the national budget for 2026-27 fiscal year (FY27), no formal allocation has yet been made.
Asked about the matter, Md Zahirul Islam, deputy secretary of the July Uprising Cell, said the ministry had no direct contact with the foundation and that the two entities operated separately.
Chief Executive Officer Lt Col (retd) Kamal Akbar said the foundation required Tk337 crore to support families of those killed and injured during FY25 but received only Tk120 crore through government grants and donations.
He said the foundation repeatedly sought additional funding from the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, requesting Tk238.2 crore in February and again in March.
According to the ministry's reply, funds allocated in FY26 budget for July victims were insufficient to meet even the ministry's own funding shortfall of around Tk100 crore, leaving no scope to provide financial assistance to the foundation.
The funding crisis has also stalled plans to establish a vocational training centre in Purbachal to help injured victims become self-reliant.
Meanwhile, many beneficiaries are still waiting for assistance. Ehsan Chowdhury, a Category C gazetted injured victim from Feni, said he had applied for Tk1 lakh in financial assistance through the district civil surgeon's office but had yet to receive the money.