Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque on Tuesday said the government will investigate reports published in the media that 16 high officials, including secretaries, have had fake freedom fighter certificates, and take necessary steps if the allegations prove true.
“The allegations of forging freedom fighter certificates raised in a newspaper report against the secretaries have come to our notice. Steps will be taken if the allegations against them are proved,” he told reporters at his ministry.A vernacular national daily Prothom Tuesday carried a report that at least 16 high officials, including secretaries, who did not assert themselves as freedom fighters during their entry into the civil services later acquired freedom fighter certificates.
The report also mentioned that many of the high officials with presumably fake certificates are trying to use those to avail various benefits.
The Minister said they will scrutinise whether any of the officials used fake freedom fighter certificate to extend their tenure of employment or took any other advantages in job.
On November 6, Health Secretary M Neazuddin Miah and Public Service Commission Secretary AKM Amir Hossain, who had got their jobs extended with fake freedom fighter certificates, went on voluntary retirement.
Two other government officials who lost their freedom fighter certificates are former secretary of Liberation War Affairs Ministry KH Masud Siddiqui, and joint secretary of the ministry Abul Kashem Talukdar, both now OSDs. – UNB
