Thakurgaon Muktijoddha Command Council has held a press conference to protest the gazette entry of a Razakar of Pirganj in Thakurgaon as a freedom fighter and his daughter as Birangana. They made the allegation at a press conference held at the Upazila Muktijoddha Complex on Saturday afternoon and demanded immediate correction of the name from the gazette.
Ibrahim Khan, former commander of Pirganj Upazila Freedom Fighters Command Council, read out a written complaint and said, Monir Uddin Chowdhury was recommended to be gazetted as a martyred freedom fighter. Also at the same meeting, his daughter Sufia Begum was listed as a posthumous freedom fighter and Birangana and a gazette was published.
On the other hand, without verification and selection, Monir Uddin Chowdhury's son Sams Uddin was listed as a freedom fighter so that the local freedom fighters were insulted. Besides, although former commander Ibrahim Khan is listed as a real freedom fighter, the Ministry of Freedom Fighters has stopped providing government facilities without any reason since 2000.
The name of Razakar, who was immediately listed as freedom fighters, should be canceled and the freedom fighters warned to launch a tough movement if the former freedom fighter commander was not given the opportunity.
Speakers at the press conference also said that the Ministry of Freedom Fighters is carrying out these activities without evaluating the verification and selection committee of the district or upazila freedom fighters. This is creating anger among the real freedom fighters. If the names of razakars and children of the family are not removed from the list of freedom fighters, then the situation will be taken against the officials including the minister of the freedom fighters ministry.
Thakurgaon 3 MP Zahidur Rahman, former MP Emdadul Haque, municipal mayor Ikramul Haque, former principal of Pirganj Government College Krishna Mohan Roy, general secretary of Upazila A-League Rezwanul Haque Biplob and others were present at the time.