Ministry decides to remove non-freedom fighters from list: Liberation War Minister

Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan has said that hundreds of thousands of non-freedom fighters were included in the list of freedom fighters during the 17 years of fascist rule. The ministry has decided to remove non-freedom fighters from the list in phases.

The minister made the remarks while responding to a supplementary question from BNP MP Abul Kalam Azad Siddiqui in the National Parliament on Tuesday, March 31.

Ahmed Azam Khan said, "During the 17 years of fascist rule across Bangladesh, hundreds of thousands of non-freedom fighters—whom we call fake freedom fighters—were included in the list of freedom fighters and given allowances and other benefits. There is no such thing as fake freedom fighters; they are non-freedom fighters. The Liberation War Ministry is working on this matter. The ministry has decided to remove non-freedom fighters from the freedom fighter list in phases."

The minister said the current government wants to honour genuine freedom fighters by keeping non-freedom fighters away from all benefits. He said the ministry wants to properly include and honour freedom fighters who have been harassed across the country.

Jamaat-e-Islami MP GM Nazrul Islam, in a supplementary question, said he had fought in Sector 9 during the Liberation War, but his name was removed from the freedom fighter list after the Awami League came to power. Everyone in his area knows him as a freedom fighter. He asked the minister whether he and others who were removed from the list would be reinstated.

In response, the Liberation War Minister said necessary steps would be taken if required documents are submitted to the ministry. He said, "We know that in the past, whoever we considered as opposition were harassed regarding their liberation war certificates and their reputation was tarnished. The Liberation War Ministry has started working on this matter."