Who is genuine?
Two persons appeared before the freedom fighters' verification committee, claiming as the genuine freedom fighter against the same identification number, at Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila Auditorium on Saturday.
Saidur Rahman, 78, son of late Shahab Uddin at Khochabari in Lalmonirhat municipality went there to claim his status as a freedom fighter as according to the list of India's Lalbarta, Saidur Rahman (date of birth August 1, 1939), son of Shahab Uddin, has the freedom fighter identification number 42734.
Meanwhile, Sahidur Rahman, 58, son of late Sahor Uddin of Sadeknagar village at Barabari union in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila has been getting freedom fighter's benefits under the same identification number for long.
Khochabari's Saidur Rahman's voter ID card matches the name, father's name and age mentioned in the Lalbarta list but those of Sadeknagar's Shahidur don't match the record.
“Verification committee members asked me many questions and I replied those rightly. Earlier I didn't get my name registered as a freedom fighter as I was engaged in rickshaw pulling in Dhaka for many years. Later I came to know that railway employee Shahidur Rahman falsely claimed my identification number," said Saidur.
“In 1971, I fought under company commander Alif Uddin in Sector No 6, in different areas of Nilphamari and Panchagarh,” he said.
Sahidur Rahman said, "I took training, fought against Pakistan occupation army and I have several co-fighters in our village. I'm Sahidur, but the Indian writer wrongly wrote my name as Saidur and my father's name was written Shahab instead of Sohor. I changed my date of birth to get a job in railway.”
District Muktijoddha Sangsad Commander Mezbah Uddin, also member of freedom fighters' verification committee, said, "Saidur Rahman failed to give proper reply to various questions about the fight for freedom and he didn't show any of his co-fighter. We didn't ask any questions to Sahidur Rahman as many of his co-fighters were present before the committee.”
"We will finalise the matter after checking, cross checking and verifying the details," he said.
Landless Saidur now serves as night guard at a poultry farm for survival.
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