It may give a sense of a nation’s pride and glory when the freedom fighters are in headlines days after days even 43 years after the liberation war. Unfortunately there is little to rejoice.
Years after years on previous occasions, we found the freedom fighters who fought for a new country braving their lives and brought independence for us, in the limelight of media mostly for their unfortunate condition to have a livable life. Media wrote enough and broadcast enough news. With some little positive impacts, now they retired.
Our concern and media coverage for the war-wounded and distressed freedom fighters have been faded out, if not systematically, it happened with passage of time, may be naturally. Many of them even died, died early, if not of starvation, certainly for want of medical treatment. The heroes had changed the world geography, but the new country could not change their fate.
Nothing however remains vacant in this world.
So, the talks and discussions on distressed freedom fighters have been replaced by a new set. The neo group members are not skeletal. They are all suited-booted. They live in posh areas. They have luxury apartments if not in foreign soils, at least in best places of the capital. They have bungalows outside Dhaka. Their sons and daughters studied or study abroad. They have huge bank balance. Not only their wives, even their sisters-in-law accompany them in foreign tours and are garlanded whole body by jewelry. It is a matter of fortune to be a sister-in-law or a father-in-law of such people. You can see and know everything of them. Only thing you will miss is to know their known source of income to have such a luxury life.
So what?
It should give us a sense of pride and happiness to suddenly find out the aristocrat, super posh and sophisticated freedom fighters. Consider that how generous these people are! Not ordinary people, they are the freedom fighters. They kept secret the heroic information for long four decade that once they had taken up arms and took life risk for independence of their motherland. Even they hide it from their parents, girl-friend/s in university life, wife/ wives after settle or love marriages and even from the heart-felt sister/s-in-law. Their commanders could not know their heroic role in the war. They neither took any certificate nor mentioned their part in the liberation war while joining the government services. They knew it was their duty to liberate the country. So, there was no need to highlight their heroism in the independence war__ no matter in the private or family or in public life.
We are fortunate enough that at the fag end of their service life they were kind enough to make the disclosure that they had been the freedom fighters. Still, they are so introvert that they did not want to make the announcement public. They kept it so secret that only the concerned government machinery knew about it. Again consider how generous they are! They are not common people, they are the freedom fighters. Had the government not extended the service tenure for freedom fighters they would have never disclosed this identity. Even they had not the desire to have the state honour in their last journey. They love the country. That is why being the freedom fighters they wanted only a private burial on this soil, even if they breathed last abroad. They love the country. That is why they took up arms in 1971 letting none to know about their glorious role. They love the country. That is why they wanted to serve the nation as a top bureaucrat for one or couple of more years. Again they wanted to keep it secret as much as possible. They do not believe in showoff.
They are really great. May be they had an unethical mistake that they did not declare them as freedom fighters when they joined the government job. Or, may be they made the unethical mistake by announcing them as freedom fighters at the fag end of their careers. But, the Minister for Liberation War Affairs should not say either they had lied during they joined the service or they are lying now. He should not. He should remember that he is the minister on Liberation War Affairs and these top bureaucrats were the freedom fighters.
They should be kept in government services life-long as they are voluntarily ready to serve the nation. That is the reason they took the risk of announcing them as freedom fighters, one thing they did not in their whole life. We need their services, too. We need to see more and more wealthy freedom fighters. No matter whatever the condition of majority of our real freedom fighters is, we can feel their progress by watching the lavish lifestyle of the new set of self-proclaimed freedom fighters.
Is not it a big achievement?
These suddenly announced freedom fighters are our unsung heroes. Hats off to them for keeping secret their glorious role in 1971, and announcing it only to serve the country. Nothing else. If they are not given contractual jobs following their retirement, what else they could have done to serve the nation! When ordinary people plan a comfortable retired life, they are ready to serve beyond the retirement age. Only retaining their untimely certificate can ensure the service of the brave nations. We should not miss it anyway.
Zahid Newaz Khan: News Editor, Channel i
