The Patriots of Bangladesh and Bangla daily newspaper Amardesh on Wednesday extended financial assistance to the father of Felani, the teenage girl who was killed by the Border Security Force of India at the border near Kurigram on January 7.
'It's a token assistance to the victim's family,' said Professor Mahbubullah of Dhaka University's development studies department.
The Patriots of Bangladesh organised the programme titled 'We are beside the family of shaheed Felani,' at the National Press Club in the capital to hand over the cheque.
The organisers handed over Tk 1.5 lakh to Felani's father Nurul Islam and conveyed their sympathy to the bereaved family members.
The organisation's secretary general, Abdul Hye Sikder, told the programme that they had committed to provide assistant to the family.
Earlier on February 9, the Kurigram police administration had foiled a scheduled programme of some Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaning freedom fighters and intellectuals to provide financial assistance to the family, said Abdul Hye.
Felani was shot dead by Indian BSF on January 7 while she was entering into Bangladesh and her body was hung on barbwire for hours, triggering criticism both locally and internationally.
Before handing over the cheque, in a short discussion, the daily Amardesh editor, Mahmudur Rahman, was critical of the government's move to allow India to use transit or corridor facilities.
The programme chair, Emajuddin Ahmed, also former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, vowed to resist the government move to allow India to use Bangladesh as transit.
Source : New Age
