Jumbangla Desk: Bogra District Awami League President Mujibur Rahman Majnu became a freedom fighter through fraud without fighting for the country. He changed his father Jasmatullah's name to Mashmatullah to get government privileges. Details from the report by Kal Kantar-
During the verification process on January 30, 2021, Majnu became a freedom fighter by using his red Muktibarta number (306090121) while excluding Mujibar, the real freedom fighter of Adamdighi. But Vidhibam, caught Khan during the hearing of the National Liberation Fighters Council (JAMUCA). Later, his civil gazette and charter number 1863 were canceled by the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs.
Not only Mujibar, the ministry has issued gazettes of freedom fighters in the names of more or less 18,000 people during the three consecutive terms of Sheikh Hasina. There is a question whether many of them were freedom fighters or not. Among them are several ministers of the Hasina government, members of parliament and former mayors of the city corporation.
According to the complaint of the concerned persons, the freedom fighter gazette has been issued in the name of hundreds of people due to the lobbying and pressure of Hasina government ministers-MPs and influential people.
In such a situation, the government has decided to reform the list of gazetted freedom fighters during the Hasina government. Farooq-e-Azam Virpratik, Adviser on Liberation War, said, 'The list of freedom fighters will be reformed.' On August 14, after taking charge as an adviser, after paying tribute to the martyrs at the National Memorial, he further said, 'An opportunistic group has been included in the list of freedom fighters, excluding the real freedom fighters. To appreciate the true freedom fighters and their sacrifices, the list of freedom fighters needs to be reformed.
Liberation War Affairs Secretary Israt Chowdhury said that an investigation will be conducted if a specific complaint is received against someone. In his office, he said, 'A total of 18,000 freedom fighters have been gazetted during the three consecutive terms of the Awami League. Among them, those against whom specific allegations will be found, their matter will be investigated.
After the Awami League took charge of the country in 2009 under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, due to the controversy over the list of freedom fighters, in 2011, the government started the work of preparing the final list in the sixth phase.
About 150,000 applications were received online till October 31, 2014. Scrutiny of applications started on January 22, 2017 across the country. Besides, the list of freedom fighters made at different times also started to be verified. On March 25, 2021, the final list was published in several phases under the name of 'Combined list of heroic freedom fighters'. So far the names of 1 lakh 93 thousand 743 people have been included in the consolidated list.
How the influential are gazetted
According to the minutes of the meeting of the National Freedom Fighters Council (JAMUCA), some influential persons including ministers-MPs of the Hasina government or their family members also applied to write their names in the freedom fighters list. Notable among them are former Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Science and Technology Minister Architect Yafes Osman and his brother Jan-Nesar Osman, Fisheries and Livestock Minister ShM Rezaul Karim, former Commerce Minister Farooq Khan, former Communications Minister late Syed Abul Hossain, former Rural Development and State Minister for Cooperatives Swapan Bhattacharya, former Mayor of Barisal Abul Khair Abdullah, former MP of Gaibandha-4 Constituency Manowar Hossain Chowdhury, former MP of Dhaka-11 Constituency AKM Rahmatullah, former Prime Minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim, former Secretary Khaja Mia's father late Sohrab Hossain, Awami of Jamalpur League leader Engineer Muhammad Ali and others.
According to sources, a few applications including Engineer Muhammad Ali were rejected, but most of the applications were gazetted after the application process. After issuing the gazette in the name of Sh Rezaul Karim and Farooq Khan, it was again decided to scrutinize it in the face of criticism. Former Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya Birvikram recommended Yafes Osman's application. Former Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid recommended Jan-Nesar Osman's application. Jamuka member and former minister Shajahan Khan recommended Syed Abul Hossain's application. Muhammad Ali's application was recommended by his wife Tahura Ali, a former MP from the reserved women's seat.
In the 75th meeting of Jamuka, it was decided to give the recognition of heroic freedom fighter to Minister of Fisheries and Livestock Sh. Rezaul Karim. According to the information given on the Ministry's website, he was born on February 18, 1962. As such, he was less than 10 years old when the liberation war started. But to be recognized as a freedom fighter, the minimum age is 12 and a half years. Then the question arises how this recognition was given to Rezaul Karim. According to the decision of the 72nd meeting of Jamuka, the freedom fighter gazette was issued in the name of Farooq Khan, a member of the Awami League presidium. As his recognition was questioned, Jamuka decided to take the opinion of the army headquarters on the matter.
Regarding Farooq Khan, a former member of Jamuka, without revealing his name, said, 'Other members did not take it into account even if they objected to him. Positive opinion is given that he is an important leader of the ruling party. But on December 14, 1971, 23 Punjab battalions of Pakistan surrendered to the Indian army. Farooq Khan was in that battalion. He managed to somehow escape by identifying himself as a Bengali officer. The Indian Army sent him to Delhi on 15 December. When the country became independent on December 16, Farooq was sent to Bangladesh High Commissioner Hossain Ali's office in Kolkata. Then he came to Bangladesh through Benapole port on January 14. So when he did the liberation war?
Apart from this, on the recommendation of the special committee, the former Minister of State for Rural Development and Cooperatives, Swapan Bhattacharya, was gazetted as a freedom fighter. It is reported that he did not apply at the time stipulated by the government.
Recommendation of Ministers-MPs
On July 19, 2022, Jamuka member and President of the Parliamentary Committee on Ministry of Liberation War Shajahan Khan recommended that Hemayet Uddin of Patuakhali's Baufal be gazetted as a brave freedom fighter. Former Home Minister and former MP of Chandpur-5 Constituency Rafiqul Islam recommended Gazi Abdus Sattar of Maheshkhali in Cox's Bazar to be certified as a freedom fighter. Former MP of Dhaka-16 Constituency Ilyas Uddin Molla recommended Lutfur Rahman of Chitalmari Upazila of Bagerhat to be gazetted as a freedom fighter. Former Cabinet Secretary Kabir bin Anwar recommended that Iman Ali, husband of Shahanara Begum of Bhangura Upazila of Pabna, be gazetted as a heroic freedom fighter.
The application was raised by Naogaon-2 Constituency Member of Parliament Shahiduzzaman Sarkar in Jamuka meeting. After discussion, it was decided to gazette his name. Former Minister, Member of Parliament and Jamuka member Mosharraf Hossain recommended the revision of the gazette of a person named Nurul Momin of Chittagong. On the recommendation of former MP and District Awami League President Abul Hasanat Abdullah, Chiddikur Rahman of Agailjhara Upazila of Barisal, Sardar Samsul Alam, became a gazetted freedom fighter. Mannan Molla and a. Khalek Hawladar. Concerned persons alleged that thousands of freedom fighters have become gazetted freedom fighters on the recommendation of ministers-MPs and influential people.
Ordinary freedom fighters were harassed
It has been revealed that during the entire 16-year regime of Sheikh Hasina, ordinary freedom fighters were harassed to enlist, but some of the party's influential people including ministers-MP-mayors got the opportunity to enlist as freedom fighters on the recommendation of Jamuka's special committee. But they did not apply online or directly on time. The Minister of Liberation War used to send those applications to the special committee through personal hearing. There are also allegations that some of these special recommendees are not real freedom fighters. Again, if people of different ideologies except Awami League applied, their applications were rejected on various grounds.
There are complaints that ordinary freedom fighters were harassed in the name of checking freedom fighters. If the upazila-district committee members could not meet the demands, the positive report would not go to Jamuka. Again the desired recommendation would be made only after pleasing the Jamuka members and concerned officials. Because of this, many famous and famous freedom fighters did not go to Jamuka for charter anymore. The situation had reached such a level
The ideologues of BNP- Jamaat freedom fighters did not even mention applying for inclusion in the list. Rather, a large part of the gazettes that were made during the period of BNP-Jamaat (2001-2006) were canceled on various pretexts or in the name of re-dent.
Incidentally, freedom fighters have been listed five times during the tenure of different governments. In 1986, the first National Committee published the names of 1 lakh two thousand 458 freedom fighters. In 1988, the number of freedom fighters in the list made by Muktijodha Kalyan Trust was 70 thousand 892. 86 thousand freedom fighters were included in the third list made in 1994. From 1998 to 2001, the names of 1 lakh 54 thousand 452 people in the fourth list from the Central Command Council of Freedom Fighters were published in Muktibarta.
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