Hunt for fake FF certificates

Staff Reporter :The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will probe the alleged forged freedom fighter certificates of eight top bureaucrats as part of its programme for “hunting fake FF certificates.”The Commission is collecting information about five secretaries, one additional secretary and two joint secretaries. Their certificates will be scrutinised. After collection of the information, the Commission will assign investigation officers in this regard, sources said.The allegation received by the ACC against the eight officials stated that they, somehow, managed the highly prestigious certificates during the 2009-2013 tenure of the Awami League-led grand alliance government to extend their service tenure.Earlier, the ACC probed such certificate forgery by three secretaries, one ex-secretary and one joint secretary and found irregularities and violation of Muktijoddha Council Act-2002 in issuing the five with Freedom Fighter certificates.Upon receiving the probe report from the ACC on September 8, the Liberation War Affairs Ministry revoked the certificates of Health Secretary Niaz Uddin Mia, Public Service Commission Secretary AKM Amir Hossain, ex-Liberation War Affairs Secretary KH Masud Siddiqui (now OSD), and ex-Joint Secretary to the Ministry Abul Kashem Talukder (now OSD).The certificate of Molla Waheeduzzaman, former secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office and now Chairman of Privatisation Commission, has been suspended.The government has so far revoked freedom fighter certificates of 182 government officials.Some public servants obtained fake certificates after the government increased the retirement age of freedom fighters from 57 years to 60 in two phases.Around 11,000 freedom fighters are now in government service.