Separate lists of Rajakars and martyred intellectuals along with an incomplete list of the freedom fighters may be published on March 26, on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the independence of Bangladesh, said officials concerned.
Officials of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs and the Jatiya Muktijoddha Council (Jamuka), the national council for freedom fighters, said, the process for scrutinizing the list of freedom fighters was almost completed and likely to be finalised before March 26.
However, the complete list of the freedom fighters may not be published on March 26 as the scrutiny process is yet to be completed, said the officials.
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque on March 15 said that the government would publish a list of undisputed freedom fighters.
The minister, however, said the government would publish the lists of martyred intellectuals and Rajakars, Al-Shams and members of the then ‘Peace Committees’ on March 26.
According to sources, at present the number of gazetted FFs is more or less 2,31,385. Of them, 1,87,293 people are getting allowances fixed for FFs. But, the government has taken an initiative to verify the list as over 50,000 people were said to have been enlisted in the gazette as the FFs during the period from 2002 to 2014 without following the procedures strictly.
Besides, the government, so far, has collected names of 1,222 martyred intellectuals and 2,504 names of Rajakars, Albadar and Al-Shams, who collaborated with the Pakistani forces as the anti-liberation forces during the War of Liberation during 1971.
The government earlier on December 15 in 2019 had published a primary list of 10,789 of Rajakars, Albadar and Al-Shams. But, later, the government decided to publish a fresh list of the anti-liberation forces after verification.
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque said that the list of martyred intellectuals is ready and it will be released on March 26.
The minister made the disclosure in reply to a question from reporters after a seminar and award distribution ceremony on the occasion of Great Martyrs' Day and International Mother Language Day at Kaliakair in Gazipur.
Meanwhile, Shahjahan Khan, president of the Standing Committee on the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, said that the separate lists of FFs, martyred intellectuals and also the list of Rajakars, Albadar, Al-Shams and members of the then ‘Peace Committees’ will be published before March 26.
It may be mentioned that the nation is going to celebrate the golden jubilee of the independence on March 26 through different colourful programmes. Bangladesh achieved its independence through a nine-month- long war from March 26 to December 16 in 1971 in which 30 lakh people had to sacrifice their lives.
