Freedom fighters' list to be corrected: PM

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday said the process of preparing the lists of Bangladesh's Liberation War martyrs and freedom fighters had been politicised after independence, creating long-standing inconsistencies and complications.

He made the remarks during the Prime Minister's Question Time in the Jatiya Sangsad while responding to a supplementary question from a lawmaker representing Pirojpur-3 constituency.

"The responsibility after independence was to prepare an accurate and impartial list of martyrs and freedom fighters. But the process was presented politically," the Prime Minister said.

He said the government has already formed an expert committee under the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs to identify genuine freedom fighters and martyrs through a transparent process.

Earlier, replying to a starred question from lawmaker Ruhul Amin Dulal, the Prime Minister outlined the government's plan to prepare a comprehensive list of Liberation War martyrs and victims of the 1971 genocide.

He said that, in line with the government's election pledge, necessary initiatives have already been launched, including consultations with Liberation War researchers, discussions with relevant stakeholders and the formulation of a practical implementation plan.

According to the Prime Minister, the initiative aims to prepare an accurate and widely accepted list of all Liberation War martyrs and genocide victims while ensuring due recognition and honour for their sacrifices.

Responding to another question from Kurigram-1 lawmaker Anwarul Islam on preparing a non-partisan list of freedom fighters, Tarique Rahman said the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), founded by martyred President Ziaur Rahman, has a moral responsibility to uphold the spirit of the Liberation War.

He said Ziaur Rahman was a decorated freedom fighter and had proclaimed Bangladesh's declaration of independence.

The Prime Minister added that the current government is committed to correcting past political influences on the listing process by preparing a complete and credible register of genuine freedom fighters with the assistance of experts.

The parliamentary sitting began at 3:00 pm under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal. During the first 30 minutes allocated for the Prime Minister's Question Time, he answered three of the seven starred questions listed on the day's agenda, along with supplementary queries.

-HIS