Bangladesh interim govt denies revoking Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s freedom fighter status

A Border Security Force (BSF) personnel on guard stands beside a mural of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh's founding father and parent of the country's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, at the India-Bangladesh border of Petrapole about 100km north east of Kolkata on August 6, 2024.

The Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of Bangladesh on Wednesday dismissed media reports claiming it had revoked the freedom fighter status of the country’s founding president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

“Sheikh Mujib’s freedom fighter status has not been revoked,” Azad Majumder, deputy press secretary to chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, told news agency ANI.

In separate Facebook posts, two advisers to Muhammad Yunus-led interim government dismissed media reports claiming that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had been stripped of his freedom fighter status.

"The reports in several media outlets claiming that the freedom fighter status of hundreds of leaders, including Mansoor Ali and AHM Kamruzzaman, has been revoked are completely false, misleading, and baseless," read the statement, translated from Bengali.

It added, "The definition of a freedom fighter was originally established in 1972 and later revised in 2018 and 2022. However, the respect, recognition, and benefits granted to both freedom fighters and their wartime allies remain unchanged."

The move comes amid a wave of political controversy and public anxiety after unverified reports surfaced on social media suggesting that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and other senior leaders of Bangladesh’s liberation war had been stripped of their officially recognised freedom fighter status.

The clarification comes amid confusion over a new ordinance redefining the term "freedom fighter" and creating a special category for 'Liberation War' associates. Media reports, cited by the Dhaka Tribune, claimed that recognition was revoked for over 400 elected leaders from the 1970 polls who played key roles in Bangladesh’s independence.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, often referred to as the "Father of the Nation," played a pivotal role in the country's 1971 liberation war against Pakistan and later became Bangladesh’s first president and prime minister. He was assassinated in 1975 during a military coup along with most of his family members. His daughter, Sheikh Hasina, served as prime minister for several terms and is widely regarded as the inheritor of Mujib's political legacy.

The Yunus-led interim government, which assumed control amid Bangladesh’s recent political upheaval, has been facing intense scrutiny both domestically and internationally.