Dr. Saleh Uddin Ahmed, Advisor to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Science and Technology, has pledged financial assistance and vocational training to support self-reliance among members of martyred families and injured beneficiaries of the Social Development Foundation (SDF) who participated in the anti-discrimination student movement during July-August 2024.

He made this commitment on Tuesday while addressing a ceremony as the chief guest at the SDF headquarters in Dhaka.

At the event, financial aid and grants were distributed to the families of martyred and injured SDF members involved in the July-August 2024 anti-discrimination student movement.

Dr Saleh Uddin Ahmed said that the sacrifices and participation of SDF member families demonstrate the solidarity of the student and public uprising during the mass movement of July-August 2024, in which people from all walks of life participated.

A total of seven individuals from the beneficiary families were martyred in the frontline movement, 16 sustained serious injuries, and 33 others were wounded during the July-August 2024 protests, according to the World Bank supported Resilience, Entrepreneurship, and Livelihood Improvement (RELI) Project of SDF. In addition, several other individuals were affected to varying extents.

The Advisor presented financial assistance to the families of the seven martyrs, awarding Tk200,000 to each family. Additionally, each of the 16 seriously injured individuals received Tk100,000, while each of the 33 others injured was provided with Tk50,000.

Along with this financial support, the affected families have been actively engaged in poverty alleviation and livelihood improvement activities at the grassroots level, as part of the project’s objectives.

Presided over by Dr Mohammad Abdul Majid, Chairman of the SDF Board of Directors, former Secretary and Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the event was attended by Nazma Mubarek, Secretary of the Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Finance as Special Guest. Senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, members of the SDF Board of Directors and Governing Body, journalists, and family members of the martyrs and the injured also attended.

The primary goal of the ceremony was to honor the martyrs and offer prayers for their souls, while expressing sympathy and support to the families of the martyrs and those injured in the anti-discrimination movement of July-August 2024.

The event also aimed to provide much-needed humanitarian and financial assistance.