The government is once again verifying the list of martyrs and injured persons from the July mass uprising. The move comes amid criticism over the inclusion of some names in the gazette. To this end, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has already sent letters to all district commissioners (DCs).
According to policymakers, questions have been raised from various quarters about certain names included in the list of martyrs and injured. Names of people not directly involved in the movement reportedly made it into the gazette. Those names will now be removed, and a fresh gazette will be issued.
In January this year, the ministry gazetted 834 names as martyrs of the July uprising. On 30 June, another 10 names were added, bringing the official total to 844.
However, on 3 August, the ministry struck out eight names. Four of them had been mistakenly included twice, while the other four had not been directly involved in the July movement. After these corrections, the official number of martyrs stands at 836.
The initial list of the injured contained 12,043 names. In July, another 1,757 were added, bringing the total number of officially recognised injured to 13,800. But allegations have surfaced that some names belong to individuals who did not actually take part in the uprising.
Letter to the DCs
On 22 June, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs sent a letter to all DCs stating that the families of martyrs listed in the gazette are receiving savings certificates as compensation, while the injured are being provided financial aid and medical support.
However, the ministry acknowledged receiving complaints that names of people not connected to the uprising had slipped into the lists. DCs were therefore instructed to re-verify and confirm the names of genuine martyrs and injured.
Mohammad Faruq Hossain, Joint Secretary of the ministry’s July Uprising Wing, told Prothom Alo: “We have already received responses from several districts. Once information comes in from all districts, the lists will be reviewed. Anyone included without real involvement in the movement will be removed.”
The case of 24 deaths in a Jashore hotel
On 5 August last year, the student–people’s uprising toppled the Awami League government. That afternoon, a fire was set at Hotel Jabir International in Jashore town, killing 24 people. The hotel belonged to Shahin Chakladar, general secretary of Jashore Awami League and a former MP for Jashore-6 (Keshabpur).
The deceased were included in the list of martyrs, but the decision has sparked controversy. In June, the ministry sent a separate letter to Jashore DC Md Azaharul Islam seeking clarification. He told Prothom Alo: “There are differing views about the 24 deaths. Some say they were part of the movement, others say they were not. To avoid controversy, we are gathering input from all sides. If evidence confirms their participation, their names will remain on the martyrs’ list. Otherwise, they will be excluded.”
Financial Benefits
According to the ministry, each martyr’s family will receive a total of Tk 3 million (30 lakh) as a one-time grant. Of this, Tk 1 million has already been provided in savings certificates in FY 2024–25, and the remaining Tk 2 million will be disbursed in FY 2025–26. In addition, each martyr’s family is receiving a monthly allowance of Tk 20,000.
In the case of the 24 Jashore victims, however, savings certificates have been withheld until verification is complete. But the DC confirmed that their families have each already received Tk 200,000 from the district council.
A Prothom Alo report on 10 June revealed that, up until then, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs and the July Martyrs’ Memorial Foundation had jointly identified 25 fake names in the injured list — individuals who had not actually been hurt in the uprising. The ministry said at the time that those names would be struck from the list.
There are further allegations that the government’s injured list contains more false entries. Ministry sources suggest the number of fake cases could grow. Officials say these fake names were inserted through fraud.
The ministry has pledged to publish a final, corrected list after receiving information from all districts. It hopes this process will resolve controversy and ensure that only genuine martyrs and injured receive recognition.
The Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), which has worked on the ground with July victims, also raised concerns. Mohammad Rakinul Hakim, Legal and Operations Adviser of BLAST, told Prothom Alo: “We have seen that fake names were included in the injured list. We welcome the government’s verification initiative. But unless the lists are made transparent, questions will continue to linger in the future.”