Khandaker Abdur Rashid is retiring next month after serving the Government of Bangladesh for decades. He, however, may get a year’s extension if he can prove that he was a freedom fighter.
Rashid’s name was included in the list of freedom fighters that the government had published as a gazette notification in December 2005. He also got his freedom fighter certificate.
Despite all these, he still needs the liberation war affairs ministry to verify his certificate and confirm that he was a real freedom fighter. That will make him eligible for another year at office.
Rashid’s son Rakib told the Dhaka Tribune: “More than two years ago, we got clearance from our local deputy commissioner’s office. But for some unknown reason, the ministry did not accept that. My father then went there in person. For two years, those documents have been lying with the ministry.
“I have even offered [them] bribes. They have been telling me for two years that they are working on it. I think they have lost the documents,” Rakib narrated.
None of the officials at room no 303 of the government’s Paribahan Pool Bhaban, where the office of the ministry is situated, was ready to talk about this.
For getting a freedom fighter certificate, one needs to apply through either the National Freedom Fighters Council or the Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangshad, who verify if an applicant is really a freedom fighter. The ministry then publishes the names of the verified freedom fighters as gazette notifications. After that, the applicants can apply with the ministry for a certificate.
The heirs of freedom fighters are eligible for certain state benefits, for which they also need to prove their legal succession rights.
Freedom fighter Md Rokonuzzaman died in 2002. Since then, his wife Rebeka has been trying to get his certificate. She even has an original certificate issued by General MAG Osmani, the commander in chief of the liberation force in 1971.
“The local commander of the Muktijoddha Sangshad and the social welfare officials took 12 years just to get the testimonials [from the fellow freedom fighters, who fought alongside my husband in 1971].This is the first time that I have come to Dhaka by myself,” Rebeka told this correspondent at the ministry office.
Rebeka said only God knew how long it would take to get the certificate.
Then again, the time that she would have to waste by waiting at the ministry would not be a pleasant experience either. There is very little sitting arrangement for these gallant sons of the soil who risked their lives for freeing the country. Many freedom fighters could be seen sitting on the ground in the corridor of the ministry office, waiting for their turn.
The Dhaka Tribune has learnt that the freedom fighters looking for certificates also have to buy a book written by the secretary of the ministry for getting their cases forward.
The Tk200 book titled “Lokoshadhonar Sanskriti” (the culture of practicing folk traditions) is available at the office of the National Freedom Fighters Council in the capital’s Moghbazar. Everyone who applies for a certificate “must” buy that book and carry it with them when they go to the council as a proof that they had fulfilled the “criterion.”
When this correspondent asked for a copy of that book, he was told that it was out of stock.
Secretary Masud Siddique claimed that he did not know anything about the book sale.
“There must be something wrong with the documents of those freedom fighters, who are having problems in getting the certificates,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.