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Published : 22 Sep 2014, 04:05 PM
The clarification comes nine days after a National Freedom Fighters Council decision to cancel credentials of four secretaries and a joint secretary.
Waheeduzzaman is now the chairman of the Privatisation Commission having the rank and status of a state minister.
The Liberation War ministry has also issued gazettes cancelling the FF certificates of three secretaries and a joint secretary.
They are Health Secretary Niaz Uddin Miah, Public Service Commission Secretary AKM Amir Hossain, former Liberation War Affairs Secretary KH Masud Siddique, currently OSD (officer on special duty), and the same ministry's Joint Secretary Abul Kasem Talukder, also an OSD now.
"Waheeduzzaman has completed four out of the five steps needed to obtain the freedom fighter certificate. It's not his fault that he had not completed one step," Liberation War affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters at his office, he said: "Over enthusiastic officials published the gazette notification before completing the last step, which has been also revealed in the NSI's (National Security Intelligence) probe. That's why the certificate has been withheld, not cancelled."
He said Waheeduzzaman would be offered a hearing.
Among the secretaries whose certificates were scraped is Health Secretary Niaz Uddin Miah, who is currently touring the United States with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Asked about this, Haque said, “No one can be called guilty before they are handed down a penalty.”
The Anti-Corruption Commission recommended that the FF certificates of these officials be repealed after a probe revealed that they had obtained the certificates through ‘illegal’ means.
Minister Haque said his ministry had already notified the public administration ministry about the cancellation of the certificates.
“I hope the public administration ministry will take what they consider to be proper action. We’re waiting to see what they do. We won’t speculate,” he said.
But the minister assured that the top bureaucrats would not be let off for their forgery.
He said his ministry’s steps were a progress and said ‘the rest’ would follow soon.
“We don’t judge by the rank. Only the level of the crime is relevant. If the public administration ministry fails to take action, we’ll talk to the law ministry and take steps,” he said.
Haque said his ministry had found about 400 fake freedom-fighter certificates so far.
“The Liberation War Council will take the final decisions on this matter,” he said, adding that conniving officials would also be under the scanner later.
