In Bagerhat’s Chitalmari, a total of 16 people have been dropped from the freedom fighters’ list after checking and sorting the official documents.
In the report of the Upazila Bir Muktijoddha Verification and Selection Committee, it has been mentioned that these 16 people are not freedom fighters according to the presented evidences.
On Thursday morning, a notice containing the excluded names of the freedom fighters’ list with signatures of all the members of the verification and selection committee was hanged on the notice board of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO). A copy of the report has been sent to the concerned ministry as well. On January 30, a list containing 156 freedom fighters’ names was verified and selected in the Upazila Parishad meeting room.
However, the members of the verification and selection committee said that all those excluded from the list could appeal to the Ministry of Freedom Fighters if they have any complain.
Valiant freedom fighter SMA Sabur was made the President of the verification committee, who was nominated by the Chairman of the National Freedom Fighters Council while, UNO Md. Maruful Alam was made the member secretary.
Md. Shamsul Alam, nominated by the Member of Parliament was made a member, while Ranjit Kumar Barai was made another member of the committee under the nomination of the Deputy Commissioner who was also the representative of the Ministry of Freedom Fighters.
Chairman of the committee freedom fighter SMA Sabur said that Jatio Muktijoddha Council (Jamuka) had sent negative information to the Ministry of Freedom Fighters about all the freedom fighters that had been gazetted till 2010. Due to arousing questions about the legitimacy of many freedom fighters, the latest letter arriving from the Ministry of Freedom Fighters directed to bring 156 freedom fighters under scrutiny in Chitalmari.
In this regard, the Ministry of Freedom Fighters met with the Jatio Muktijoddha Council and sent letters to the offices of the Deputy Commissioner and Upazila Nirbahi Officer. According to him, the letter was delivered to 156 gazetted freedom fighters of Chitalmari. As one of them had his name in the red release message (Lal Mukti Barta), 155 people were asked to appear at the office of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer.
The screening took place on January 30 from 10 am to 5 pm. The committee formed in accordance with the guidelines and selection rules of the Ministry and Jatio Muktijoddha Council has completed the selection in a peaceful atmosphere.
In this regard, UNO and Member Secretary of the Committee Md. Maruful Alam said, “Out of 155 people named in the verification and selection list, all but two were present. After inquiring about those two people who could not show up necessary papers and documents, we came to know that they were not real freedom fighters. We have completed the selection process with total transparency”.
“16 people have been dropped from the list. One of them is a member of the Ansar Bahini. The chairman and members of the committee prepared a final report in this regard and put it on the notice board. At the same time, I have sent the selection report with the signatures of all the members of the verification and selection committee to the ministry. The Ministry will take the final decision in this regard”, added the UNO.
The names that have been dropped out by the Verification and Selection Committee are: FM Badar Uzzaman (Ansar Bahini) of Barbaria village, Md. Keramat Ali Khan of the same village, Abdul Haq Sikder (deceased) of the same village, Babar Ali Mollah(deceased) of Baraguni village, Md. Nur Islam Sheikh of Barashia village, Chan Mia Sheikh of the same village, Md. Tashen Sheikh of Bashbaria village (deceased), Mosharraf of Paranpur village, Sheikh Md. Farid Ahmed (deceased) of Ghola village, Md. Abdur Rashid of Paranpur village, Jyotish Basu of Mashuarkul village, Chhaleman Sheikh of Bakpur village, Idris Sheikh of Shaildah village, Mostafa Sheikh (deceased) of Shibpur village, Md. Sarwar Hosen (deceased) of the same village and Md. A. Sattar Khan of Aruabarni village.