New Delhi: In a move set to reshape historical narratives, Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, issued a sweeping ordinance on Tuesday night redefining the term “freedom fighter” (Bir Muktijoddha). This significant redefinition has resulted in the controversial revocation of the esteemed ‘Bir Muktijoddha’ status for Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the nation’s founding father.
The ordinance, published by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, also stripped official recognition as freedom fighters from over 400 other prominent political leaders of the Bangladesh Liberation War, including figures such as Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, M Mansur Ali, and AHM Qamaruzzaman.
According to the new ordinance, these historical figures will now be categorised as “associates of the Liberation War” (Muktijuddher Shohojogi), a distinction that marks a profound shift in how their contributions are officially recognised.
The new ordinance defined ‘Bir Muktijoddha’ as an individual who, between March 26 and December 16, 1971, either actively prepared for war and received training within villages across Bangladesh, or crossed the border into India to enrol in various training camps with the explicit aim of participating in the Liberation War. Crucially, these persons must have actively engaged in combat against the occupying Pakistani armed forces to secure Bangladesh’s independence.
The redefined criteria specify that recognised civilian freedom fighters must have met a minimum age determined by the government during the war period. Additionally, members of the armed forces are to be known as freedom fighters.
Importantly, the status of ‘Biranganas’, women who suffered torture at the hands of Pakistani forces and their collaborators, remains unchanged, as does the recognition for doctors, nurses, and medical assistants who provided vital treatment to wounded freedom fighters in field hospitals throughout the conflict. This ordinance signals a significant recalibration of who is officially recognised as a ‘Bir Muktijoddha’ in Bangladesh’s history.
