Certificates of 26 more revoked

The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has revoked freedom fighter certificates of 26 more government and non-government employees for obtaining those through forgery.

Twenty-one of them have failed to prove that they really fought for the country during the Liberation War in 1971, four did not declare their freedom fighter status during entry to service life and the last one's certificate was found to be fake, according to an investigation conducted by the National Security Intelligence (NSI).

The 26 include a joint chief of the Planning Commission, a principal, a headmaster, assistant tax officers, executive engineers, a deputy director of health directorate and a senior executive officer of Sonali Bank. The ministry took the decision yesterday in accordance with the Muktijoddha Council Act and issued an order to that end following recommendations by Jatiya Muktijoddha Council.

The government has so far annulled certificates of 213 government and non-government employees who include bureaucrats with the status of secretary, join secretary and deputy secretary.

Besides, the government has also revoked certificates of 2,367 members of a special guerrilla force formed by the NAP-Communist Party-Chhatra Union combine in 1971.

Those who have lost their freedom fighter status in the latest order include Iftekhar Uddin, senior executive officer of Sonali Bank, Fazlur Rahman, deputy director of Directorate of Health Services, Nurul Islam, executive engineer, Ibrahim Miah, superintendent engineer, Abdul Matin, additional chief engineer of the Project to Protect Shahbazpur Gas Field, Shamima Akter, joint chief of the Planning Commission, Dilip Kumar Dash, deputy divisional engineer, Rahmat Ali Bishwas, principal of Chuadanga Govt College, Kamal Uddin, associate professor of Satkhira Govt College, and Siraj Ali, headmaster of Debhata Registered Primary School.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque after assuming office took the initiative amid widespread allegations that a large number of government officials fraudulently obtained freedom fighter certificates over the past few years to extend their service period by one year.

Earlier in November 2012, the government extended the retirement age of government employees with freedom fighter certificates from 59 to 60 years. Before that in April 2010, their retirement age was extended by two years from 57.

Around 11,000 freedom fighters were working in the government services following the 2012 extension.

Currently, there are around 2.12 lakh freedom fighters. The number was around 1.98 lakh in a gazette published during the BNP-Jamaat rule in 2002.

Freedom fighters, their children and grandchildren now enjoy 30 percent quota in government jobs. Besides, special quota is preserved for war heroes' children and grandchildren at public schools, colleges and universities.