HC asks govt to recognise 2,367 guerrillas as freedom fighters

The High Court on Thursday has asked the government to recognise 2,367 guerrilla fighters of 1971 liberation war as freedom fighters. The HC bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman also declared a government decision of revoking guerrilla freedom fighter certificates illegal. It asked the government to give them proper status, dignity and facilities of the freedom fighters while delivering verdict in a writ petition filled by the guerrilla fighters. The writ petition was filed in January, 2015, by Pankaj Bhattacharya, deputy commander of the guerrilla force which was formed with National Awami Party (NAP), Communist Party and Chhatra Union's leaders and activists on March 26, 1971. In the petition, he said that the Bangabandhu-led Bangladesh government had recognised guerrilla fighters as freedom fighters and published their names in government notifications following the war. A gazette notification was published in July 2013 by the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs on the list of 2,367 guerrillas as freedom fighters but in October next year they scraped it without any explanation. In January 2015, the HC after primary hearing issued a rule on the government asking it as to why the government decision of scrapping the list of guerrilla freedom fighters will not be declared illegal. The court also stayed the effectiveness of the government’s decision. After the final hearing on September 5, the court fixed the date for delivering judgment. The writ petitioner's lawyer Subrata Chowdhury said the list of guerrilla freedom fighters remains effective following the HC verdict. They will get their dues from October 2014.