Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan on Wednesday informed Parliament that the official recognition of 481 individuals has been revoked since August 2024 after they were found not to be genuine freedom fighters.
He said the decision was taken following verification and investigation conducted by Jatiya Muktijoddha Council (JAMUKA).
“Based on complaints, JAMUKA carried out investigations and, upon its recommendations, the ministry cancelled the gazette notifications, Lal Muktibarta entries and Indian lists of 481 individuals,” he told the House.
The minister made the remarks while responding to questions from lawmakers Akhter Hossen of Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) and Md Jahander Ali Miha during the question-and-answer session.
In his query, Akhter Hossen raised concerns over alleged fake freedom fighters, citing reports suggesting that out of roughly 250,000 gazetted names, more than 100,000 may be ineligible.
In response, the minister said that since August 2024, a total of 842 complaints have been submitted to JAMUKA for scrutiny. A subcommittee formed by the council conducts investigations and hearings into each complaint. If an individual is proven ineligible, the council recommends cancellation of their official status.
He added that the verification process is ongoing and remains a routine function of the council. “Any complaint against a listed freedom fighter will be investigated and if proven false, their name will be recommended for removal,” he said.
The minister also noted that since its establishment, JAMUKA has held 103 meetings and recommended the cancellation of gazette status for 6,465 individuals.
Responding to a separate question from ruling party lawmaker A M Mahbub Uddin Khokon, he said there are currently 198,037 recognised freedom fighters in the country, according to the integrated database maintained in the ministry’s Management Information System (MIS).
Each recognised freedom fighter receives a monthly honorarium of Tk 20,000, along with two annual festival allowances of Tk 10,000 each. They also receive a Pahela Baishakh allowance of Tk 2,000 and a Victory Day allowance of Tk 5,000.
However, the minister confirmed that there is currently no plan under government consideration to increase the honorarium for freedom fighters.
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