11 govt officials face contempt rule

The High Court today issued a contempt of court rule against 11 government officials including the Liberation War Affairs secretary and director general of Jatiya Muktijoddha Council for omitting names of 135 members of special guerrilla force from the list of freedom fighters.

In the rule, the court asked the 11 officials to explain why they should not be punished for committing contempt of court by deleting the names of 135 members of “NAP-Communist Party-Chhatra Union special guerrilla force” of Narayanganj from the list of freedom fighters.

The HC bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das issued the rule today following a contempt of court petition filed by the 135 members of the special guerrilla force of Narayanganj including Md Khalilur Rahman.

They said in the petition that the HC on September 8, 2016 directed the government to recognise 2,367 members of a special guerrilla force, who participated in the 1971 Liberation War, as freedom fighters.

The 2,367 members of the special guerrilla force include 135 members of “NAP-Communist Party-Chhatra Union special guerrilla force” of Narayanganj, but its (Narayanganj) freedom fighter scrutiny committee has cancelled their names from the list of freedom fighters in violation of the HC directive.

Advocate Md Zahedul Bari appeared for the petitioners.