Muktijoddha Council has no jurisdiction to cancel FFs’ certificates: HC

In a verdict, the High Court (HC) on Thursday said that Jatiya Muktijoddha Council (Jamuka) has no jurisdiction to cancel freedom fighters' certificates from the gazette.
At the same time, the HC declared the decision of cancelling the gazette recognizing 22 brave freedom fighters, who underwent naval commando training at Gobindaganj upazila  in Gaibandha as illegal.
The HC bench comprising Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury and Justice Kazi Ebadoth Hossain delivered the verdict after final hearing on a rule issued earlier in this regard.
Barrister Toufiq Inam appeared on behalf of the petitioners during the court proceedings.
Earlier, a seven-member national committee finalized the list of 479 freedom fighters in 2001.
Later, the names of 479 naval commandos were gazetted in two steps in 2004 and 2005.
Since then, they have been receiving freedom fighter allowance.
However, Jamuka decided to cancel the certificates of 24 freedom fighters in the 35th meeting on April 7, 2016.
Against this decision, 22 people, including freedom fighter Abu Hannan Sarkar, filed a writ petition with the High Court on May 8 of that year challenging the legality of the decision.
Later, the High Court stayed the decision and issued a ruling asking the authorities concerned to explain why the decision of cancelling the gazette regarding the recognition of these 22 naval commandos as freedom fighters should not be declared illegal.
After final hearing on the rule, the HC bench on Thursday made the rule absolute and declared the decision as illegal saying that Jamuka has no jurisdiction to cancel freedom fighters' certificates from the gazette.