Jamaat-e-Islami Lawmaker Retracts Claim of Deceased War Hero Father After Public Backlash

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Abdul Muntakim, a Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker representing Nilphamari-4, has publicly acknowledged making inaccurate claims regarding his family’s history during the national parliament’s budget session. The controversy erupted after Muntakim asserted that his father and grandfather were martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War, despite both individuals being alive.

During his parliamentary address on June 14, Muntakim claimed his family possessed a distinguished record in the independence movement, citing 47 total family members as freedom fighters, including his father and grandfather. He further described his mother as a prominent organizer of the war and characterized himself as a “July fighter.”

The claims triggered immediate backlash on social media platforms after users pointed out inconsistencies in his timeline. Critics noted that according to the lawmaker’s own official election affidavit, he was born on January 10, 1981, making it biologically impossible for his father to have died as a martyr in 1971.

Local supporters and party colleagues have attempted to downplay the incident. Shafiul Islam, the headmaster of Al-Faruk Academy where Muntakim previously taught, attributed the false statement to a “slip of the tongue” and urged the public to view the error with leniency.

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Confirming the reality of the situation, Muntakim’s father, Md. Abdul Kader Syedi, remains alive and resides in the village of Dhalagach in Nilphamari’s Kamarpukur union. His mother is also living.

Facing mounting criticism, the lawmaker formally petitioned the Speaker of Parliament on June 19 to request a correction to the official parliamentary records. In a statement to the press, Muntakim admitted that his initial remarks were incorrect, clarifying that while his great-uncle was a martyr in the war, his father and grandfather were not. He stated that he is currently preparing to address the nation through an upcoming press conference to clarify the misunderstanding.