Staff Correspondent

State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraak Hossain on Tuesday said that active measures are underway to quickly gazette the unlisted martyrs of the July uprising and permanently preserve their graves.

Speaking to journalists in the capital’s Jatrabari area after visiting the families of martyrs, the state minister assured that necessary steps would be taken to resolve the issues faced by the victims' families.

"According to the initial schedule, I planned to visit five martyr families, but later located two more," Ishraak said. "Among them, one individual was martyred on July 30 but has not yet been gazetted. Upon learning this, we gathered all relevant evidence and immediately instructed the Deputy Commissioner's (DC) office to investigate and process the matter swiftly."

Highlighting discussions in parliament, the state minister noted that while a preliminary United Nations report estimated the death toll at around 1,400, the Prime Minister later informed parliament that the actual number could be nearly 2,000. However, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has gazetted 843 martyrs so far.

Ishraak criticized the previous interim administration for negligence, stating that had they fulfilled their duties properly, determining the true list of martyrs two years on would not have been so challenging.

Pointing to Matuail graveyard, where 17 martyrs of the July movement are buried, Ishraak expressed concern over the condition of their resting places. He noted that despite budget allocations during the interim government's tenure to pave and permanently preserve martyrs' graves nationwide, these graves remain unpaved and unallocated due to irregularities.

"We have collected the necessary information regarding these graves. The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs will take swift action to permanently allocate, pave, and preserve them," he assured.

The state minister reaffirmed that while efforts to identify and list eligible martyrs continue, no one will be allowed to get gazetted using forged or fake documents.

Warning against fraudulent attempts, Ishraak emphasized that strict legal action would be taken against anyone attempting to deceive the state, noting that existing regulations provide for up to five years in prison and a fine of up to Tk 10 lakh for such offenses.