Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan on Sunday said those who opposed Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971 and the ‘fascist force’ who fled the country after destroying it have joined hands in a conspiracy to destabilise the country and unseat the government.
The Minister said various groups are trying to create unrest and instability despite the government’s short time in office, he said at a discussion titled “The Role of Freedom Fighters in Rebuilding the State” organised by the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal and Muktijuddher Projonmo at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB) in the capital.
“They are making irresponsible statements and staging protests in different places to create disorder. But can anyone show a single example of corruption by this government in its first 110–111 days? The answer is no,” he added.
The programme was held marking the 45th martyrdom anniversary of former president Ziaur Rahman.
BNP Standing Committee Member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan attended the event as the chief guest.
Azam khan said the government, under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, is working to rebuild Bangladesh based on the ideals of the Liberation War and the principles of Ziaur Rahman.
He urged freedom fighters to stand beside the government and support its efforts to strengthen the country’s economy and institutions.
The Minister said the government aims to build a strong and sustainable economy within the next five years and called on citizens to remain patient and cooperate with the administration.
“We want to work together with people to ensure that Bangladesh stands firmly on a strong economic foundation before the world,” he said.
Referring to Ziaur Rahman, the minister said the former president not only declared Bangladesh’s independence but also participated directly in the Liberation War and later restored multiparty democracy after assuming state power.
“He brought Bangladesh back from military rule and one-party governance to a multiparty democratic system. He reopened newspapers that had been shut down and restored democratic rights of people,” Azam said.
He said the Liberation War Affairs Ministry is undertaking various projects to ensure that freedom fighters are not deprived of their rightful benefits.
He said he recently visited Chattogram to inspect Liberation War-related facilities and ongoing restoration works neglected during the previous government’s tenure.
Ishraque Hossain, State Minister for Liberation War Affairs and president of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Muktijuddher Projonmo, said people who were not freedom fighters, or who were too young to have participated in the 1971 war, were included in the official list of Freedom Fighters during the Awami League government.
“Perhaps the fascist Awami League achieved its political objectives by including such people in the freedom fighter list, but in doing so it took genuine freedom fighters to the extreme point of humiliation and insult,” he said.
He said the inclusion of large numbers of ineligible individuals in the list over the past 17 years had diminished the status and dignity of freedom fighters, whom he described as the nation's greatest sons.
The state minister said the government has already initiated efforts to correct the list and around 6,000 ineligible individuals have so far been removed from the freedom fighter registry.
He said Jatiya Muktijoddha Council conducts verification and scrutiny before submitting recommendations to the ministry which are then forwarded to the relevant branch for implementation.
Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal President Ishtiaq Aziz Ulfat chaired the programme.