The freedom fighters of Bangladesh are those who fought with arms to struggle for the independence of Bangladesh. This is what the definition of freedom fighters should be. But unfortunately successive governments have changed the definition of freedom fighters to suit their own narrow political and other purposes. The list of freedom fighters changes every time a government is elected and is unfortunately defined by whatever government, which is in power to enable them to select people whose political mentality leans towards them. This should not be the case.
The Liberation Affairs Ministry – the only one of its kind of anywhere in the world, is planning to set up district and upazila level committees. With this end in view the Ministry is going to prepare a fresh list of freedom fighters relying on its own definition.
We don’t need a separate Ministry as permanent arrangement to look after the freedom fighters. It is a plan to use the freedom fighters, genuine or false, as a separate force outside the people; being oblivious that the Liberation War was a people’s war.
The government’s new plan to form committees of FFs at various level is another indication that the good name of the freedom fighters will be used for the benefit of partisan politics. It is known to all in what difficult situation with the help of Indian army Bangladesh was liberated when we had no preparation to fight a war. The true freedom fighters must speak up against making freedom fighters divided by distributing certificates. The list of true freedom fighters, armed and trained, was prepared during the Liberation War. So there cannot be any need of preparing a new list of freedom fighters.
