<i>They forget their 'most revered' Shaheed Minar after every Feb</i>
The central Shaheed Minar at Saptana in Lalmonirhat town lies uncared for almost all year round. The municipal authorities merely clean and whitewash the Shaheed Minar ahead of February 21 every year.Photo: STAR
The district central Shaheed Minar in Saptana area is in a bad shape due to lack of proper maintenance since its construction in 1968. The authorities neither took any initiative to redesign nor reconstruct it despite repeated demand of the people in the town. The municipality authorities just cleaned and whitewashed it every year ahead of 21 February, the day to pay tribute to the language movement martyrs, but they never took any steps to upgrade it. Local political leaders, cultural activists, teachers and students visit the Shaheed Minar every year to mark the most revered occasion, but none of them come forward to give it a better shape. Language movement veteran Comrade Shamsul Haque said the government is spending a huge amount of money to construct high-rises, roads and bridges, but they are little interested in spending any amount for renovation of Shaheed Minar. “I personally informed the authorities seeking fund for its reconstruction a few years ago, but I didn't get anything but assurances,” he said. Contacted, mayor Reazul Islam Rintu said that the municipality had no fund required to reconstruct the Shaheed Minar. Regarding the bad condition of the memorial, Deputy Commissioner Mokhlesur Rahman Sarker termed it a job of the local government. Administrator of Lalmonirhat district council Motiar Rahman said, more than 20 decimal of land have already been acquired for a newly designed Shaheed Minar in the town. The repair work of the memorial will start soon after getting fund from the government, he added.
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