About 40,000 freedom fighters without Jamuka recommendation to be scrutinised

All civilian freedom fighter gazettes issued without approval from the Jatiyo Muktijoddha Council (Jamuka) will be scrutinised by 31 December this year.

Jamuka took the decision at its 71st meeting on 3 December as part of efforts to publish a list of authentic freedom fighters.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Haque said they thought about scrutinising a list of around 42,000 Freedom Fighters. However, in the last two days they found that they have already scrapped around 3,000 names from the freedom fighters’ list. That is why they have published a list of 39,961 freedom fighters. From this list the freedom fighters' names would be scrutinised.

The minister also said the names that have been included in the list of the freedom fighters since 2002 without recommendation from Jamuka, will be brought under scrutiny.

According tothe law, Jamuka’s recommendation is a must to include names on the list of freedom fighters.

News agency UNB adds: The scrutiny will take place at the offices of upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) and deputy commissioners (DCs).

The lists comprising names of 39,961 freedom fighters to be scrutinised, and other related information, are available on the websites of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs (www.molwa.gov.bd) and Jamuka (www.jamuka.gov.bd).

Freedom fighters included in the gazettes have been asked to produce necessary documents and testimonies of at least three fellow freedom fighters (trained in India) included in Red Book, Mukti Barta, or people who trained with them.

If anyone was trained inside Bangladesh, he will have to verify if he participated in any battle with the testimonies of his fellow freedom fighters included in ‘Mukti Barta’. The scrutiny has to be held in presence of freedom fighters trained in India/Mukti Barta-listed freedom fighters.

According to Section 7 (Jha) of the Jatiyo Muktijoddha Council Act-2002, the council has been tasked with issuing a list of authentic freedom fighters and make recommendations to the government.

Each of the freedom fighters currently gets an allowance of Tk 12,000 every month. With bonuses in two Eids, each of the freedom fighters gets an allowance of Tk 171,000 per annum.