Government Initiates Comprehensive Verification Process to Finalize Accurate List of Liberation War Veterans and Martyrs

The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has initiated a comprehensive process to establish an accurate national registry of martyrs, freedom fighters, and female veterans of Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. The initiative aims to rectify long-standing discrepancies in existing records and preserve an authentic historical database for future generations.

Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ahmed Azam Khan presided over an inter-ministerial meeting at the ministry’s conference room on Wednesday. The session included Minister of State for Liberation War Affairs Ishrak Hossain, Ministry Secretary Ashraful Islam, and a broad cross-section of academics, historians, veterans, and journalists.

Addressing the assembly, Minister Khan emphasized that ensuring the integrity of the liberation war records is a moral and historical obligation of the state. He acknowledged that the process has been plagued by allegations of irregularities and the inclusion of non-combatants in past lists. Under the directives of the government, the ministry is now committed to purging these inaccuracies to ensure that the recognition of true heroes remains untarnished.

The proposed methodology for creating the registry relies on a multi-dimensional verification process. Experts at the meeting stressed that the list must not be based on emotional conjecture or isolated data. Instead, it must integrate documentary evidence, government and military archives, wartime records, eyewitness testimonies, local-level field data, and scholarly research.

The strategy involves a grassroots approach, engaging families, local administrations, researchers, and students at the village, union, upazila, and district levels to collect and verify information. Given the significant passage of time since 1971, speakers underscored the urgent necessity of recording testimonies from surviving witnesses before this vital oral history is lost.

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Minister of State Ishrak Hossain highlighted that the state must ensure the highest level of caution, neutrality, and diligence in the vetting process to maintain the dignity of genuine freedom fighters. He noted that removing ambiguity and confusion surrounding the recognition of national heroes is essential to preserving the sovereignty and foundational identity of the state.

Prominent participants in the discussion included North South University Professor Salimullah Khan, Bangladesh Open University Vice-Chancellor Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman Khan, Dhaka University Professor Sukomal Barua, Daily Jugantor Editor Abdul Hai Shikdar, and veteran freedom fighter Habibul Alam, Bir Protik. Other notable contributors included media executive Abdul Hai Siddique, retired Major General Jamil D. Ahsan, retired Major General Azizur Rahman, and various representatives from veteran associations.

The assembly concluded with a consensus that the ministry must maintain a transparent archive of the sources, evidentiary basis, and verification processes used for each name included in the final registry. This systematic documentation is intended to serve as a reliable reference for future historians, ensuring that the legacy of the Liberation War is accurately preserved and shielded from further controversy.