Scrutiny of 84,000 govt employees under freedom fighter quota underway
List not yet complete; final count of such recruitments could reach 90,000
The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs is scrutinising the recruitment of 84,000 government employees under the freedom fighter quota, with the aim to ensure that the recruitments were transparent and authentic.
On 15 August, the ministry issued letters to all ministries, requesting lists of employees recruited under the quota.
In the three and a half months since, data for 84,000 employees has been received, covering positions across government and semi-government organisations.
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Officials estimate the final count could reach 90,000 as additional data is expected.
The verification includes employees from all grades, ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 20.
A senior official from the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs explained that the process involves cross-checking names of freedom fighters against the official gazette, consolidated lists, and the Ministry's Management Information System (MIS).
"Many names are absent from the MIS due to various reasons. If records are verified as accurate, higher authorities will be informed that these appointments were properly conducted," the official said.
Primary school teachers represent the highest number of hires under the freedom fighter quota, as appointments for these positions were made exclusively through the quota.
The police force also recorded a significant number of quota-based recruitments.
However, concerns have arisen regarding the misuse of the quota.
An anonymous government official revealed a high incidence of fraudulent freedom fighter certificates, particularly in financial institutions like banks.
"Discrepancies in names are being scrutinised. Minor spelling errors are not an issue, but completely different names are being carefully examined," the source said.
The lists submitted by ministries are still under review, with less than half verified so far.
The ministry expects the remaining work to take the rest of the current month.
Any individuals whose names are not found in official records will be listed separately and the matter referred to the secretariat for further action.
Farooq-e-Azam, adviser to the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, had earlier stressed the importance of determining the number of freedom fighters' children employed in government roles.
However, incomplete or delayed responses from some ministries have hindered the process.
A reminder was sent on 29 August, setting a deadline of 15 September for submissions. Despite this, some lists remain outstanding.
Data from the Parliament Secretariat had to be manually reconstructed due to vandalism on 5 August. Parliament officials later submitted the required information to the ministry.
As of 2022, freedom fighter certificates have been issued to 194,000 individuals, with 95,000 living freedom fighters receiving smart ID cards.
