Listing of Freedom Fighters

THE government has decided to make new list of Freedom Fighters (FFs). It seems that the embarrassment of the FFs will never end. In the first place the whole process of enlisting FFs initially was shocking. The responsibility was given to Muktijoddha Sangsad at district and upazila levels. Those who were in the Sangsad were juniors or not FFs at all in 1971. Some of those were Razakars or anti-liberation elements during the Liberation War. The wartime commanders and gallant FFs were asked to apply to them to be enlisted.

The candidates for contesting Sangsad election were divided in many groups. Its effect fell on the scrutiny process of FFs. Many FFs felt humiliated to face these so called 'elected' Sangsad leaders for enlistment. This was the type of   Sangsad that made the list for Muktibarta. So anybody can guess what was actually listed in it. No real FF could get into it if he was not a ruling party man. As a wartime commander, I was one of the scrutinizers in Chittagong city. Many of those whose names I had certified as genuine FFs were dropped from the list only on party consideration.

Those who were enlisted in this scrutiny process  are now glorified as genuine FFs enlisted in the Red Book. But still a good number of genuine FFs are out of list and they are afraid of harassment by the Sangsad commanders and government officials who themselves become fake freedom fighters by abusing their power and indulge in corruption and bribery in issuing FF certificates.

The very process of identification and scrutiny of FFs are seriously erroneous.  The Liberation War Affair minister told about the Indian list before finalizing the new “genuine FF list”. Whether it will be easy to collect that list I don't know. He should also collect list of the trained BLF members. Otherwise it will remain incomplete.

There is one more issue to be sorted out. Many FFs were trained inside the country and fought valiantly for the liberation. They are not enlisted by India or Muktibarta. What will be their fate? An FF list must be complete for the sake of true history of our Liberation War. Not a single genuine FF should be left out from the list. Not one fake FF should be there in the list.

To this end I would like to put some suggestions for consideration of the government high ups before setting the method of making a new list of genuine FFs. These are:

1.    To define the criterion of FF wartime commanders' views should be considered.

2.    Wartime commanders should be entrusted with the scrutiny and identification of genuine FFs. In case of death or absence of the wartime commander a team of war heroes may be given this responsibility.

3.    Scrutiny of those that fought directly under the armed forces should be done by armed forces. They will be able to identify a genuine FF by listening to the narration of FF's war experience.

The writer is Wartime Chittagong City Commander, Liberation War Researcher and Chairman, Muktisongram O Muktijuddho Gobeshona Kendro Trust, Chittagong