The High Court (HC) on Thursday (January 5) delivered a verdict mentioning that Jatiyo Muktijoddha Council (Jamuka) has no jurisdiction over cancelling freedom fighters’ certificates from the gazette.
The higher court also declared the decision cancelling the gazette recognizing 22 brave freedom fighters, who underwent naval commando training in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha as illegal.
The HC bench of Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury and Justice Kazi Ebadoth Hossain delivered the judgment declaring the rule issued in this regard appropriate.
Barrister Toufiq Inam appeared in court for the petitioners, while Deputy Attorney General Sheikh Saifuzzaman represented the state.
Earlier, a seven-member national committee finalized the list of 479 freedom fighters in 2001. Later, the names of 479 naval commandos were gazetted in two steps in 2004 and 2005. Since then, they have been receiving freedom fighter allowance.
However, the Jatiyo Muktijoddha Council decided to cancel the certificates of 24 freedom fighters in the 35th meeting on April 7 in 2016.
Against this decision, 22 people, including freedom fighter Abu Hannan Sarkar, filed a writ petition in the High Court on May 8 of that year.
Later, the High Court stayed the decision and issued a ruling asking why the decision to cancel the gazette regarding the recognition of these 22 naval commandos as freedom fighters should not be declared illegal.
After a long time, the court announced the verdict of that ruling on Thursday.
