This story first appeared in Prothomalo
The Jatiyo Muktijoddha Council (Jamuka) has recommended gazetting the names of about 11,000 people including mayors, lawmakers, secretaries, as well as their close ones, as freedom fighters during this tenure of ruling Awami League.
The list of freedom fighters has always drawn controversies as no accurate list of freedom fighters has been prepared yet over the past 52 years since independence. All actual freedom fighters are yet to be included, but persons who did not join the liberation war have been enlisted as freedom fighters.
The Jamuka is authorised to prepare the list of freedom fighters. A review of the meeting minutes of the Jamuka from 2019 to 2023 shows the organisation recommended names of 10,817 people for inclusion as freedom fighters. Former ministers, lawmakers and JAMUKA members have made recommendations.
In the meantime, gazettes of 2,190 people were revoked.
Mayors, and MPs in the list too
At a meeting on 11 April last year, the Jamuka decided to include the name of incumbent Barishal City Corporation mayor Abul Khair Abdullah in the gazette. Minutes of the meeting state he fought under the Sector 9 in the liberation war. He lost his freedom fighter certificate when the assassins vandalised and looted the Minto Road house after carrying out the killings on the night of 15 August 1975.
Gaibandha-4 lawmaker Monowar Hossain Chowdhury also applied to add his name to the gazette saying a hearing was held on 2 December 2022 on this matter, and he was proved to be a freedom fighter. Since he had no DGI number, his application was not placed at the 27 January meeting. A DGI number indicates the application to the director general of JAMUKA. Later a decision was taken at a meeting on 27 April to include him in the gazette.
Replying to a query as to why he has been gazetted after so many days, Monowar Hossain told Prothom Alo, “What is the wrong being gazetted after too long? I did not fight the war for allowance.”
JAMUKA also recommended the name of the prime minister’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim for inclusion. His application was placed at a Jamuka meeting on 19 July 2022. Prior to this, he filed an application to the liberation war affairs ministry as he was yet to be gazetted despite having verification, witnesses and evidence. The minister gave the opinion that the matter could be presented at the JAMUKA meeting under special consideration.
At that meeting, Jamuka recommended his name be gazetted as a freedom fighter, but the JAMUKA highlighted some discrepancies in Ihsanul Karim’s application on 24 October last year and decided to put it on hold the application at a meeting on 17 January this year.
Later, the Jamuka cancelled its decision and recommended him to be gazetted as a freedom fighter. Ihsanul Karim declined to comment.
Recommendations of ministers, MPs
Jamuka member and parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs chairman Shahjahan Khan recommended adding the name of Hemayet Uddin from Bauphal of Patuakhali to the gazette at a meeting on 19 July last year. He wrote in the application, “The applicant fought the battle from the camp of the Khalil Force in Madaripur district.”
When asked, Shahjahan Khan said, “I know Hemayet. So, I recommended for him.”
At the same meeting, former minister and lawmaker from Dinajpur Mustafizur Rahman also recommended adding the names of Zahurul Islam and Rafiqul Haque from Fulbari upazila to the gazette. Regarding this, Mustafizur Rahman told Prothom Alo, “Perhaps they are freedom fighters, so I recommended them. But I cannot recall it now.”
Former home minister and Chadpur-4 lawmaker Rafiqul Islam recommended giving Gazi Abdus Sattar from Moheskhali certification as a freedom fighter. The application that was placed at the meeting on 24 October 2022 shows the upazila verification committee rejected his name. Later the application was settled through the appeal committee.
Dhak-16 lawmaker Elias Uddin Mollah made a recommendation that Lutfar Rahman from Bagerhat’s Chitalmari be included in the gazette as a freedom fighter. The lawmaker wrote in the application Lutfar Rahman is deprived of all privileges since he has not been added to the gazette.
Former cabinet secretary Kabir Bin Anwar recommended adding the name of the late Iman Ali, husband of Shahanara Begum from Vangura upazila of Pabna, to the gazette as freedom fighter, and Naogaon-2 lawmaker Shahiduzzaman Sarker placed the application in the Jamuka meeting.
Later it was decided that the name of the late Iman Ali would be included in the gazette.
Former minister, lawmaker and Jamuka member Mosharraf Hossain recommended amending the gazette of Nurul Momin from Chattogram. The lawmaker wrote in the application, “I know him personally.”
Lawmaker and Awami League’s Barishal district unit president Abul Hasnat Abdullah recommended including four persons from Agailjhara upazila in the gazette as freedom fighters. They are Siddiqur Rahman, Sardar Samsul Alam, A Mannan Mollah and A Khaleque Hawladar.
At its meeting, Jamuka said, “The decision to add four freedom fighters of Agailjhara to the gazette was taken under special consideration, but this decision will not be considered as an example in the future.”
Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee president Shahriar Kabir told Prothom Alo the matter of those who are being added to gazette after 52 years of independence should be scrutinized. Names of all actual freedom fighters are yet to be added to the list of freedom fighters. On the other hand, many people who did not go to the war have been included in the list. Those who are trying to add their names to the list of freedom fighters or have already managed to add their names to the list despite not being freedom fighters must be identified and face exemplary punishment.
Waiting for decision, amendment and rejection
In addition to application for inclusion in the list, several people also applied for amending their names. Former minister and Naogaon-4 lawmaker Emaz Uddin Pramanik applied to amend the gazette to include his name. His application states he is from Manda upazila, but certain late Emaz Pramanik of Manda upazila was included in the gazette issued by the ministry recently. The lawmaker claimed there was no member of the 1972 provincial assembly, as well as in Manda upazila in his name after independence.
At its last meeting on 13 July, Jamuka decided to amend the gazette, as well as suspended the allowance for Emaz Pramanik. Lawmaker Emaz Uddin Pramanik confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo. “Someone was gazetted replacing my name. Now a decision has been taken to amend my gazette,” he said.
Finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal applied to Jamuka to be enlisted as a freedom fighter, but his application was rejected on the grounds that ‘he was not proved as a freedom fighter after verification’.
In a Jamuka meeting held in February 2021, a decision was made to gazette the name of member of parliament for Gopalganj-1 constituency and former commerce minister, Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Muhammad Faruk Khan. However, questions were subsequently raised about this decision. In response, during a meeting on 8 February of the same year, it was agreed that the view of the army headquarters would be sought to uncover the truth.
Liberation war affairs minister and chairman of Jamuka, AKM Mozammel Haque, informed Prothom Alo that no opinion has been received yet regarding the matter. Responding to a question, he stated that, following due process, freedom fighters have been included in the gazette. However, it is true that some names have been listed under ‘special consideration’, with the recommendation originating from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Furthermore, once the applicants receive approval from the upazila and a majority of the members of the Jamuka committee approve their applications, there is nothing further to be done.
Process of accurate and complete list never ends
In the 52 years of independence, there have been at least seven instances of additions and deletions to the list of freedom fighters. According to Jamuka sources, in 1984, the Ershad government initiated the preparation of the national list of freedom fighters, resulting in a total of 102,458 individuals being included.
In 1988, Major General Amin Ahmed Chowdhury Bir Bikram, the then Managing Director of the Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Welfare Trust, compiled another list known as the Indian list of freedom fighters from India. This list included 69,833 freedom fighters.
In 1994, during the BNP government, a voter list was prepared for the election of the Freedom Fighters Central Command Council. The number of freedom fighters in the list was 86,000.
During the Awami League government’s tenure from 1996 to 2001, a list of 186,790 freedom fighters was compiled, known as Muktibarta (Green). Later, after further verification, another list containing 158,452 freedom fighters was created, referred to as Muktibarta (Red).
According to Jamuka sources, a national committee formed during the four-party alliance government led by BNP-Jamaat from 2001 to 2006 included 210,581 freedom fighters in the list.
In 2009, when the Awami League government came to power, they expressed concerns over the enlistment of over 70,000 fake freedom fighters the four-party alliance government led by the BNP-Jamaat. To rectify this, the Awami League government established a local committee comprising all deputy commissioners and UNOs across the country to identify and remove fake freedom fighters from the list. On the other hand, the government added the names of 11,500 individuals as new freedom fighters while approximately 20,000 names were removed from the list for various reasons. However, the process of adding new names to the list has not been stopped.
The gazette wing of the liberation war affairs ministry indicates that a total of 235,467 names of freedom fighters have been listed at various times. The budget wing of the ministry states that allowance (monthly honorarium) has been allocated in the name of 219,758 freedom fighters for the month of January. Additionally, on the golden jubilee of independence in March 2021, the government released an incomplete list containing 147,537 freedom fighters. Consequently, there is ambiguity regarding the actual number of freedom fighters in the country.
According to sources at the ministry, the current number of freedom fighters receiving honorary allowance stands at 194,000.
Liberation war researchers emphasize that being recognized as a freedom fighter brings social and state respect, along with financial benefits. Presently, a freedom fighter receives a monthly allowance of Tk 20,000. In addition to this, they are granted Tk 20,000 on two Eids, Tk 10,000 each, Tk 5,000 on Victory Day, and Tk 2,000 on Bengali New Year. In total, a person receives approximately Tk 270,000 in a year.
Following an increase in the retirement age for government service by one year, govt high-ups have initiated a process to be recognized as freedom fighters. In 2012, the government raised the retirement age to 60 years for government employees who were freedom fighters, whereas the general retirement age is set at 59 years. Consequently, concerns have been raised regarding a surge in applications to be included in the list of freedom fighters towards the end of the government’s tenure.
Afsan Chowdhury, a researcher on the liberation war, informed Prothom Alo that the number of names on the list of freedom fighters has been steadily rising over the past decade. Now the list has become political. Some individuals obtain this certificate to establish their identity as individuals embodying the spirit of the liberation war, along with accessing other financial benefits. It is evident that even ministers, members of parliament, and secretaries are now eagerly seeking inclusion in this list. The motive behind this is easily understandable.
*This report appeared in the online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat and Hasanul Banna.