The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has formed a high-level committee to investigate the death and burial of Manik Pashari in Pirojpur and to verify his freedom fighter certificate. The committee has been told to establish the facts and report quickly.
The ministry announced the move in a press release on Thursday.
The release said reports in various media about Manik Pashari’s death, his burial, the authenticity of his freedom fighter certificate and related matters had come to the ministry’s attention. Taking the issues raised in those reports seriously, the committee was formed on the instructions of Minister Ahmed Azam Khan.
The committee has been asked to investigate impartially and objectively the details of the events, Pashari’s death and the questions over his certificate, and to submit a report to the ministry, the release said. Further action will be taken under the law and regulations after the committee’s report and recommendations are reviewed.
The ministry said it is working to remove non-freedom fighters from the list of freedom fighters in order to uphold the spirit and dignity of the Liberation War, while making sure the honour and dignity of genuine freedom fighters is not harmed.
The release added that if any freedom fighter is involved in wrongdoing, or is used on behalf of any organisation or group, the responsibility lies with that individual. Alongside working for a democratic and prosperous Bangladesh in the spirit of the Liberation War, the ministry said it is watchful that no person or group uses the identity of freedom fighters to push the state into crisis.
In 2009, Manik Pashari filed a case against Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi and four others over crimes against humanity during the Liberation War. He was the sixth prosecution witness in the case against Sayeedi. After Pashari died on 24 October this month, local Jamaat leaders and activists in Pirojpur were accused of obstructing his guard of honour and burial. Jamaat leaders denied the allegation.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report