Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus has emphasized the importance of presenting the true history of the Liberation War in a non-partisan manner through the activities of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs.
He made the call on Monday afternoon during a meeting at the State Guest House Jamuna.
Liberation War Affairs Adviser Faruk E Azam, officials of the ministry and several others attended the meeting.
Faruk said large sums of money has been spent by the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs in the past to construct various installations that present a misleading version of the war’s history.
He added that these structures lack detailed descriptions of the battlefronts and accounts from freedom fighters. Instead, they focus on exaggerated information centred around a single family, using photographs and personal artefacts, the adviser remarked.
As an example, the adviser referred to a research project titled “Implementation of Bangabandhu’s Ideals and the Spirit of the Liberation War”, which had an allocated budget of Tk23 crore.
“Despite taking crores from the ministry, the researchers hardly delivered any substantial work,” he said.
He alleged that Sheikh Hasina turned freedom fighters into a privileged class, politicizing allocations, benefits, and funds intended for them.
“Political activities of the Awami League were conducted from infrastructure built for freedom fighters. Valuable unprotected assets under the Freedom Fighter Welfare Trust must be reviewed and decisions must be made regarding their use,” he added.
The chief adviser directed the immediate appointment of a consultant and the formation of a follow-up committee to assess how assets under the Freedom Fighter Welfare Trust can be effectively utilized and how the trust’s capacity can be strengthened.
He said: “We must take effective initiatives to define the role of the trust and determine what kinds of enterprises can be established on its properties. The trust must be revitalized.”
Yunus also advised everyone concerned to ensure that the true history of the Liberation War is reflected in every future project undertaken by the ministry.
At the meeting, the ministry presented a summary of major activities carried out during the interim government’s tenure, as well as a six-month action plan for the coming days.