Staff Reporter :
Liberation War Affairs Adviser Farooq-e-Azam Bir Pratik has disclosed that the government has received complaints about nearly 90,000 individuals suspected of being fake freedom fighters. Of these, data for 40,000 have already been processed, and verification is ongoing for the remaining 50,000.
In an exclusive interview with the state news agency BSS, marking Independence and National Day, the adviser said the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs is thoroughly scrutinizing the entries and is urging those falsely listed as freedom fighters to voluntarily withdraw their names from the official gazette.
“We encourage fake freedom fighters to come forward and voluntarily remove their names from the gazette. No punitive actions will be taken against those who do,” Farooq-e-Azam stated.
A few individuals have already come forward to request removal from the list. For others, the ministry will send out official letters asking for relevant documentation. If individuals fail to provide proof of their involvement in the Liberation War, their names will be removed from the gazette, and disciplinary actions will follow. A formal hearing and appeal process will be made available.
The adviser attributed the inclusion of fake names over the years to political manipulation. “Political lobbying led to many fake names being listed, even those of minors during the war. Some have falsely claimed lineage to freedom fighters for benefits such as job quotas and educational opportunities,” he explained.
Farooq-e-Azam noted that many individuals have falsely claimed participation in specific battles or sectors during the war, yet actual sector commanders and veterans assert that they never saw or knew these individuals.
He emphasized the necessity of distinguishing between “frontline combatants” and “supportive freedom fighters.” According to the new classification being discussed within the ministry, “frontline freedom fighters” are those who fought directly on the battlefield between March 26 and December 16, 1971, against Pakistani forces and their collaborators.
Meanwhile, other contributors like musicians from Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, members of the Swadhin Bangla Football Team, journalists, doctors, and campaigners abroad will be recognized as “supportive freedom fighters.”
Reflecting on his own role in the war, Farooq-e-Azam shared that he joined the struggle at the age of 22, driven by a sense of justice and identity. He emphasized that he did not fight as a political activist, but as a citizen resisting oppression.
“Sadly, the spirit of the Liberation War has been commercialized and politicized,” he lamented. “The reality today is far removed from the dreams we had during the war-dreams of political and economic freedom, and dignity for the common people.”
The adviser also highlighted a serious issue: out of 6,757 listed martyred freedom fighters, the families of 1,399 are not receiving any state benefits, and many have not even applied. “We don’t know where they are. The state must locate these families and bring them under welfare schemes,” he urged.
District commissioners have been instructed to track down these families and ensure they receive their entitled benefits.
Farooq-e-Azam emphasised that the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs is committed to a non-political, merit-based approach in restoring the dignity of genuine freedom fighters and preserving the legacy of the Liberation War.
“If successful, these reforms will mark the end of five decades of injustice and manipulation,” he concluded.
