The government is moving forward to enact a fresh law titled ‘Jatiya Muktijoddha Council Act, 2022’ with the provision of making a list of collaborators who helped the Pakistan Army during the Bangladesh War of Liberation in 1971.
The Liberation War Affairs Ministry had prepared the draft of the fresh ‘Jatiya Muktijoddha Council Act’ in 2019 for enabling the Jatiya Muktijoddha Council, a government body, responsible for the welfare of Freedom Fighters and maintaining the list of Freedom Fighters.
The draft further recommends publication of a list of collaborators and anti-liberation elements.
The Cabinet approved the draft on December 7 in 2020 with two amendments. Later, the ministry sent an additional proposal to the Cabinet Division for presenting the draft again. The Cabinet on January 17 this year again approved the draft of the ‘Jatiya Muktijoddha Council Bill, 2022’.
An official of the Liberation War Affairs Ministry said the Bill is likely to be placed in the upcoming 17th session of Parliament which will begin on March 28.
With the passage of the revised law, the existing ‘Jatiya Muktijoddha Council Act, 2002’ will be annulled.
The government had moved to enact the fresh law because the existing 2002 law does not mention the publication of list of collaborators. For this reason, steps had been taken to give legal form to make lists of people, including members of Razakar, Al Badr, Al Shams and other paramilitary outfits, who collaborated with the Pakistan Army during the war.
After approval of the draft, Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam said that those involved in killing, rape, looting, arson attack and other crimes against Bangladesh people from March 26 to December 16 in 1971 and aided the Pakistan Army by joining the paramilitary forces will be listed under the revised law.
According to the draft law, registration of organisations that were involved with anti-liberation activities or worked against the ideology of independence will be cancelled.
The draft law incorporates a total of 32 provisions for proper functioning of the Jatiya Mukiijoddha Council. The council will make policies and implement ideologies of the independence war.
The proposed law suggested the formation, operation and funding of the Jatiya Muktijoddha Council and registration of freedom fighters and their organisations in a more precise way.
The board of directors of the council will be 11-member body instead of current nine. The chairman of the council will be the Minister of Liberation War Affairs and secretary of the ministry will be senior vice- chairman.
As per the draft law, non-freedom fighters will be punished if they obtain freedom fighters’ certificates.
Secretary of Liberation War Affairs Ministry Khwaja Mia said that the list of wartime collaborators must be published. However, it will be done after the enactment of fresh law.
The government on December 15 in 2019 released a list of collaborators. Later, in the face of nationwide protest, the list was suspended as it included some well-known freedom fighters as collaborators.