Freedom Fighters can now use ‘Bir’ before their names

Freedom Fighters can now use 'Bir' before their names, according to a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs on Thursday.  

The gazette says that the Freedom Fighters have been defined as "heroic Freedom Fighters" in Section 2 (11) of the Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Welfare Trust Act, 2018.

In accordance with the law and with the decision of the 13th meeting of the Standing Committee on the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs of the Eleventh National Assembly, the word 'Bir' should be used before the names of the heroic Freedom Fighters in all cases, the gazette says.

The order comes into effect immediately, as per a UNB report.

Last December, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque said the actual number of freedom fighters is not more than 210,000. Then, 201,461 freedom fighters were said to get government allowances.

According to available information, the number of listed freedom fighters is 333,856. Of them, 251,285 are claimed to be genuine freedom fighters, he said.