105 fake July fighters to be dropped from gazette: Ministry

The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has decided to remove 105 individuals from the official gazette of July fighters and the list of those injured in the July Uprising, after investigations found they were falsely recognised.

At the same time, the names of 23 July fighters that appeared twice in the gazette are being corrected by keeping them only once. 

The ministry said a new gazette will soon be published, excluding the fake July fighters and duplicate entries.

Mohammad Faruk Hossain, joint secretary of the ministry with additional responsibility for activities related to the July Uprising Directorate, told The Business Standard, "Various district committees had reported 105 people listed in the July fighters' gazette were not injured in the July Uprising. As a result, the district committees recommended their removal from the gazette."

A senior official of the ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity, said those who falsely registered as July fighters and received government benefits will face legal action.

According to ministry data, the gazette currently lists 14,636 injured July fighters — 602 in category "A" (critically injured), 1,118 in category "B" (seriously injured), and 12,080 in category "C" (injured).

It also includes 844 individuals recognised as killed in the July Uprising, of which eight entries have already been cancelled.