Bangladesh includes Bangabandhu, four national leaders on first list of freedom fighters

The government has published the first list of 147,537 freedom fighters, including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the four national leaders and 191 martyred intellectuals.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque announced the list at a press conference at the ministry in Dhaka on Thursday as the nation was set to celebrate the 50th Independence Day on Friday.

Besides the self-confessed killers of Bangabandhu, the list also contains the names of Khandakar Mushtaque Ahmed and Ziaur Rahman, who came to power after the assassination of the Father of the Nation.

The minister said their post-war “misdeeds” will be mentioned on the list.

“The government has released an initial list of 147,537 individuals. It will be possible to release the complete and final list of freedom fighters by June,” said Mozammel.

The list has been published on the website of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs on Thursday.

On keeping the names of Bangabandhu’s killer Mushtaque and Zia in the freedom fighters’ list, the minister said, “Their titles have been revoked. But they were freedom fighters. We can’t say that they did not fight in the war. In that case, it will be a distortion of history.”

“If we say that Ziaur Rahman did not fight in the war - that would not be right. He was a sector commander, he fought in the war. He can be punished for what he did later on.”

On their ‘misdeeds’, the minister said, “So, of the facilities they received as freedom fighters, the ones that are revocable have been annulled.”

Responding to another question, Mozammel said, “Khandakar Mushtaque was in the Mujibnagar government. But it is also true that he was involved in the assassination of Bangabandhu. Later, he took power illegally.”

“Taking that into account, it will be mentioned that… he was accused as a killer of Bangabandhu, and a chargesheet was framed against him as well. He didn't face trial because he had died.”

Pointing out that 182,834 individuals were named in the list of recipients of freedom fighters honorarium, he said, “Nearly 35,000 individuals were left out of the list as their civilian gazettes had not been approved by the National Freedom Fighter Council.

“In the meantime, we have received reports from 434 upazilas to regularise these gazettes. The names of 30 freedom fighters will be published in the final list once the appeal hearing ends.”

“A committee consisting of the country’s renowned researchers has come up with the list of martyred intellectuals. In the first part, we’ve published a list containing 191 martyred intellectuals.

“We will release more lists in phases after we’re done checking. This list will also be completed by Jun 30.”

In the initial list of 147,537 freedom fighters, 12, 563 are from Barishal, 30,053 are from Chattogram, 37,387 are from Dhaka, 10,588 are from Mymensingh, 17,630 are from Khulna, 13,889 are from Rajshahi, 15,158 from Rangpur and 10,264 are from Sylhet division.