The Ministry of Liberation We Affairs has said that foreign friends in Bangladesh’s War of Independence mU be given new crests following allegations that those crests contained less than the standard amount of gold as mentioned to hon¬our them.
The ministry saidthis in replyto a legal notice served by a Supreme Court lawyer recently.
Nearly 2rya foreign nationals were awanied crests, shawls and certificates in seven phases last year for their contibu¬lion to Bangladesh’s liberation War ha 0971_
A media report on April 6 said the crests had lesser gold than the standard amount of gold it also said brass, copper and zinc alloy were used instead of silver.
Earlier, the ministry bad said that a parliamentary sub¬committee was now investigating the matter. After we get the probe report, measures would be taken on mattes llie asking the supplying company to return money and pro¬duce new gold crests to be given to the foreign friends through Bangladesh high C01130229i022 or embassies in the relevant comnries
lawyer Mara Murshid filed a petition on May 19 to the High Court in this regard.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs on Apt 24 also decided to investigate the allegations.
The sub-committee was also formed with AfsoulArnin as its comma, andGniGolamDastagir androbalur Rabim as the members.
It accesed altogether 13 persons, including former state minister AB Tajtd Islam, former secretary lifizanur Rahman and over Secretary ICH Masud Siddique, and the institu¬tion supplying the crests and medals of the alleged fraud. The national committee for honouring foreign friceds had decided to use one bhori or 0.34 more (16 ana) of gold and 30 bhoris of silver in each 12202L
However, a BSTI test found only 3 ana of gold in the crests and instead of silo), 341 grams of mixed metal containing brass, copper and aim.
