Intelligence agencies are verifying information on freedom fighters and the authorities will cancel their certificates if the reports go against them, a junior minister told parliament yesterday.
Replying to a question by M Abdul Latif, State Minister for Public Administration Ismat Ara Sadique told the legislature that the government had already cancelled the certificates of 116 freedom fighters in line with the reports of the National Security Agency.
The government maintains quota in the public service for freedom fighters and their children. The certificates entitle them to a lot of state facilities.
During Sheikh Hasina’s previous term (1996-2001) the Muktibarta, a publication by the freedom fighters, registered 1,51,861 freedom fighters.
But in 2012-13, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs gave certificates to 2,09,028 freedom fighters.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Liberation War Affairs Ministry of the 9th parliament observed that many of the registered freedom fighters in the latest list were fake, recommending that the government should cancel those certificates.
IsmatAra said the government continued to detect so-called freedom fighters who were inducted into the public service with fake certificates.
“As of yet, total of 116 fake freedom fighter certificates have been cancelled, according to the report of the National Security Intelligence,” she said.
Moves will be taken in accordance with the investigation reports to cancel the certificates through gazette notification, said the state minister.