Shawkat Ali, a master-roll caretaker and night guard at the Bheramara Upazila Muktijoddha Complex, has reportedly gone 48 months without receiving salary, allowances, or government assistance. Despite his continuous service in maintaining the building and protecting historical documents and assets, Ali and his wife are currently living in extreme hardship.
Ali was officially appointed on December 28, 2022, by former UNO Hasina Momtaz, though he had already been serving the complex for a year prior to that date.
While the building hosts Liberation War programs, it remains largely unsupervised. Ali continues to clean and guard the premises nightly to prevent theft of furniture and valuable records.
Current Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rafiqul Islam has acknowledged the situation but stated he is unable to provide a solution. Furthermore, the administration has reportedly refused to take formal possession of the building’s assets when Ali offered to hand them over.
The UNO explained that the caretaker’s salary is intended to be paid from the rental income of ground-floor shops. However, because freedom fighters have not yet officially taken possession of the building, the shops remain unrented, leaving Ali without a source of income.
Despite sending registered appeals to the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, the Divisional Commissioner of Khulna, and the Deputy Commissioner of Kushtia six months ago, Ali has received no response. He is now calling upon the relevant ministries to intervene on humanitarian grounds to settle his nearly four years of arrears.
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