The Asiapost News

Dhaka, June 4, 2025 — In a move that has sparked outrage across Bangladesh and beyond, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has stripped Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the revered Father of the Nation, and over 400 key figures of the 1971 Liberation War of their “Bir Muktijoddha” (Freedom Fighter) status. The decision, enacted through a controversial ordinance amending the National Freedom Fighters Council Act, redefines who qualifies as a freedom fighter, effectively erasing the recognition of those who led Bangladesh to independence from Pakistan in a bloody nine-month war.

The ordinance, issued on June 3, 2025, by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, limits the “Freedom Fighter” title to those who engaged in active combat or received specific training between March 26 and December 16, 1971. This narrow definition excludes Bangabandhu, the architect of Bangladesh’s independence, along with key Mujibnagar government leaders like Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, M Mansur Ali, and AHM Qamaruzzaman, as well as over 400 elected politicians from the 1970 elections who played pivotal roles in the liberation struggle. The move has been widely condemned as a deliberate attempt to rewrite history and diminish the legacy of the Awami League, which spearheaded the fight for independence.

“This is nothing short of a national disgrace,” said Fazlur Rahman, a veteran freedom fighter and advisor to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. “The Yunus government is trampling on the spirit of 1971, dishonoring the very heroes who gave us our country.” Critics argue the ordinance is part of a broader campaign by the interim administration to erase Bangabandhu’s legacy, following actions like removing his portrait from currency, canceling the national holiday marking his 1975 assassination, and expunging references to the Liberation War from school oaths.

The Yunus administration has scrambled to deflect criticism, with advisers like Faruk-e-Azam and Mostofa Sarwar Farooki claiming the reports of revocation are “fake” and that Bangabandhu and the four national leaders retain their status. However, these denials ring hollow against the ordinance’s clear redefinition, which categorizes many former freedom fighters as mere “associates of the Liberation War.” The government’s refusal to release the full text of the ordinance has only fueled suspicions of a cover-up.

The Bangladesh Awami League, now banned by the interim government, issued a scathing statement, calling the move “an unforgivable betrayal of the nation’s founding ideals.” The party accused Yunus of pandering to Islamist factions, noting the administration’s decision to lift the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, a group that opposed Bangladesh’s independence and collaborated with Pakistani forces in 1971. “This government is honoring war criminals while stripping our heroes of their rightful place in history,” the statement read.

Public reaction has been fierce, with protests erupting in Dhaka and other cities. Social media platforms are ablaze with condemnation, with users accusing the Yunus government of “strangling Bangladeshi history” and symbolically aligning with Pakistan’s narrative. One widely shared post stated, “By erasing Bangabandhu’s legacy, Yunus is spitting on the graves of the three million martyrs who died for our freedom.”

The timing of the ordinance is particularly galling, coming just days after Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal charged former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangabandhu’s daughter, with crimes against humanity related to the 2024 protests that ousted her government. Observers see this as part of a coordinated effort to dismantle the Awami League’s influence and rewrite the narrative of Bangladesh’s founding to favor rival political factions, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies.

The Yunus government’s actions have drawn international concern, with Indian media outlets decrying the “systematic erasure” of Bangabandhu’s legacy. Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War, fought against Pakistani oppression, remains a cornerstone of the nation’s identity, and any attempt to diminish its heroes risks deepening divisions in an already polarized country.

As Bangladesh approaches elections, promised by Yunus for late 2025 or early 2026, the interim government’s attempt to reshape the nation’s historical narrative could backfire spectacularly. For now, the decision to strip Bangabandhu and his comrades of their freedom fighter status stands as a provocative act of historical vandalism, one that threatens to unravel the very fabric of Bangladesh’s national pride.