Foreign friends to get new crests

Foreign friends in Bangladesh’s War of Independence will be given new gold crests following allegations of less gold being used in the crests to honour them.

The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has said this in reply to a legal notice issued by a Supreme Court lawyer.

Nearly 250 foreign nationals were awarded crests, shawls and certificates in seven phases last year for their contribution to Bangladesh’s birth in 1971.

A national daily in a report on Apr 6 said the crests had lesser gold than standard. It also said brass, copper and zinc alloy were used instead of silver.

“A parliamentary sub-committee is now investigating the matter. After we get the probe report, measures will be taken on matters like asking the supplying company to return money and produce new gold crests to be given to the foreign friends through Bangladesh high commissions or embassies in the relevant countries,” the letter said.

The liberation war affairs ministry sent the letter to the office of lawyer Manzil Murshid on Monday.

Murshid on May 19 filed a petition to the High Court after he did not receive a reply to his notice.

The national committee for honouring foreign friends had decided to use one bhori or 0.34 ounce (16 ana) of gold and 30 bhoris of silver in each crest.

However, a BSTI test found only 3 ana of gold in the crests and, instead of silver, 341 grams of mixed metal containing brass, copper and zinc.