HC asks govt to recognise 2,367 as freedom fighters
The High Court today directed the government to recognise 2,367 members of the guerrilla force, who participated in the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, as freedom fighters.
Delivering a verdict on a writ petition, the court also ordered the government to give proper status, dignity and facilities of the freedom fighters to them.
The court declared illegal the government decision that cancelled the recognition of 2,367 members of guerrilla force as freedom fighters on October 29, 2014.
The HC bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman Rahman came up with the verdict after hearing the writ petition filed by Pankaj Bhattacharya, a deputy commander of the guerrilla force, on January 19, 2015.
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The petitioner in his petition said a special guerrilla force had been formed with the leaders and activists of National Awami Party (NAP), Communist Party and Chhatra Union after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the independence of the country on March 26, 1971.
The deputy commanders of the guerrilla force formally surrendered their arms to Bangabandhu at Dhaka National Stadium on January 30, 1972, the petition said.
The government in exile in 1971 and the government led by Bangabandhu had recognised the members of the guerrilla force as freedom fighters, it said, adding that the names of the members of the guerrilla force were published in government notifications.
The petition also stated that the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs on July 22, 2013, published a gazette notification on the list of 2,367 guerrillas including Comrade Moni Singh and NAP President Prof Mozaffar Ahmed, two advisers to the then government in exile, as freedom fighters.
Later in October 2014, the government revoked their certificates.
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