General Waker-Uz-Zaman gives the assurance during a special meeting of RAOWA
Published : 19 Jan 2025, 02:37 AM
Bangladesh Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman has promised effective measures to reduce the disparity in benefits between active and retired officers of the armed forces.
He gave this assurance during a special meeting held on Saturday with the newly elected executive council of the Retired Armed Forces Officers' Welfare Association, or RAOWA.
The special meeting was held at the RAOWA complex in Mohakhali DOHS, according to a press release from the Inter-Services Public Relations Department, or ISPR.
The newly elected chairman of RAOWA presented the range of welfare activities undertaken and planned for the overall development of retired armed forces members during the meeting.
RAOWA informed the army chief about the association's history, goals, objectives, operations, and the challenges, the press release added.
As the main patron of RAWA, Gen Waker listed the slew of measures taken to provide improved healthcare for retired officers and members, such as plans to build advanced hospitals in collaboration with foreign agencies, providing advanced dental care, free medicine supply through dispensaries in 61 districts, and enhanced free medical services for the wives of retired soldiers.
According to the ISPR press release, the meeting addressed the establishment of a high-capacity commission to review and ensure the entitlements of various deprived army officers, the allocation of land for RAOWA for the Jalshiri Abashon project, creation of employment opportunities for retired members, and the reassessment of ration allowances among various welfare initiatives for retired officers and members.
"He shed light on expediting justice for incidents like the BDR massacre at Pilkhana and the killing of [retired major Sinha Md Rashed Khan]. He mentioned various measures taken for the welfare of the family of the deceased maj Zahid Hossain," the press release stated.
Senior officers of the army were present during the event.