State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain has said the Liberation War is the foundation of Bangladesh’s identity and belongs to the entire nation, not to any individual or political party.
He made the remarks while speaking at an inspection and views-exchange meeting at the Gazaria Upazila Freedom Fighters Complex in Munshiganj on Wednesday.
The minister said the 1971 Liberation War was a people’s war in which citizens from all backgrounds participated in the struggle for independence. He stressed the importance of presenting the true history and ideals of the war to future generations.
The State Minister alleged that in the past, the Liberation War has been used in a partisan manner and its spirit has been undermined by presenting distorted history. The contribution of each must be properly evaluated and the real history must be presented to the people.
Referring to the forces opposing the Liberation War, he said that those who opposed independence in 1971, took up arms against the people of the country and cooperated with the occupying forces are identified in history. These forces have tried to create division at various times and have tried to weaken the spirit of the Liberation War. Such attempts will fail in the future as well.
Ishraque Hossain said that in 2001, the government led by Begum Khaleda Zia established the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs for the welfare of freedom fighters and introduced various facilities for them. However, later on, there were allegations of partisanship and irregularities in this sector. Many people took advantage of fake freedom fighter certificates, and it even affected the higher levels of the administration. Due to these reasons, confusion has been created among a section of the new generation about the Liberation War, which is unfortunate.
Referring to the mass uprising of 2024, the State Minister said that although this movement can be seen as a continuation of the Liberation War, the two cannot be compared. The Liberation War was an armed war, and the recent movement was a mass movement.
Highlighting the various initiatives of the government for the welfare of freedom fighters, he said that allegations of irregularities in various fields including the Bir Niwas project will be verified. A list of genuine freedom fighters will be prepared and their due benefits will be ensured. In case of complex diseases, a maximum of five lakh taka has been allocated for freedom fighters. In addition, medical services are being provided through various hospitals. Currently, a monthly allowance of 20 thousand taka is being given. Considering the economic situation, the issue of increasing it will be brought up for discussion.
Bd-pratidin English/TR
