Nearly 200 July fighter forms found fake

Investigators have found nearly 200 fake applications among fresh claims submitted by people seeking recognition as injured July fighters from the July mass uprising, officials at the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs said.

Officials also found irregularities in around 600 other applications, including information mismatches, multiple applications by the same person, and applications submitted in the names of martyrs as injured persons.

Sources at the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs said the Special Branch of Police and the Police Bureau of Investigation verified a total of 2,388 applications.

Of them, the authorities confirmed the authenticity of 1,590 applicants. The government has started the process of including them in the official gazette as July fighters.

At present, the government has gazetted 14,370 July fighters under three categories. Once the new 1,590 verified applicants are added, the total number will rise to 15,960.

The ministry said new applications are still being submitted. The authorities will include applicants in the gazette if the verification process confirms their claims. However, the ministry will remove any name from the list if it finds that a person secured recognition through false information.

According to the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, many people applied for recognition as injured July fighters after the government published the gazette of July martyrs and injured July fighters early last year. The applications were submitted to different deputy commissioners’ offices and the July Mass Uprising Directorate.

Earlier, the government cancelled the names of 13 martyrs and 219 injured July fighters from the gazette after controversy arose over some entries. To avoid similar disputes, the authorities used intelligence agencies this time to verify the applicants’ information.

Ministry data show that 3,316 applications were submitted after the gazette was published. Of them, 2,388 were sent for investigation. After verification, officials found the information of 1,590 applicants to be correct.

Among them, 789 have already been included in the Management Information System of the Ministry of Health. The inclusion of 276 others is underway, while the verification of 210 applicants has been completed.
Investigators directly identified nearly 200 applications as fake. In around 600 other applications, the two investigating agencies found inconsistencies, duplicate applications, applications filed in the names of martyrs as injured persons, and other factual errors. The ministry believes around 100 of these applications may still be found genuine after further scrutiny.
The verification process found that many applicants failed to provide reliable evidence of their injuries. Some could not submit medical records, while investigators found false information in the photos and documents provided by others. Officials also detected one case where an application was submitted in the name of a martyr as an injured July fighter.
Mohammad Faruk Hossain, joint secretary of the July Mass Uprising wing of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, said the authorities have strictly verified the applications to ensure that only genuine injured people receive recognition as July fighters.
“We are trying to make sure that no fake applicant is included in the gazette,” he said.
According to ministry data, the government has so far gazetted 843 martyrs and 14,370 injured July fighters from the July-August mass uprising. Families of martyrs are entitled to a one-time grant of Tk 30 lakh, a monthly allowance of Tk 20,000, and housing facilities. Injured persons are receiving one-time financial assistance, monthly allowances, and training opportunities based on their categories.
State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain said the government will include only genuine July fighters in the gazette after proper verification so that no controversy arises over the list in the future.