The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs on Thursday has launched smart ID card and digital certificate distribution among freedom fighters through which a total of 24,761 freedom fighters will receive smart ID cards and 46,803 digital certificates initially. Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque inaugurated the programme at the Ministry’s meeting room on Thursday. The Minister said that printing of smart ID cards and digital certificates of 17 districts has been completed. Read: Freedom Fighters' rations recommended for review “Printing of cards and certificates for the rest of the districts will be finished within next one and a half months. Among 46,803 freedom fighters who will receive digital certificates, 24,761 are alive and 22,042 are dead,” said the Minister. In his welcome speech, Khaja Miah, Secretary of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, said that in rural areas, the ID cards and certificates will be distributed by Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs’) while Deputy Commissioners (DCs’) will distribute them in metropolitan areas. “The ID cards and certificates will have to be distributed checking the consolidated list published on the Ministry’s website (www.molwa.gov.bd). Cards and certificates can’t be provided to those whose names have not been listed. Those freedom fighters who’ve already died will receive only digital certificates, not cards,” said Khaja.

As many Dhaka University students face numerous problems for not having a proof of their studentship the university authorities hope to provide smart ID cards to all undergraduate students by next month. This optimism has been voiced by Prof. Mustafizur Rahman, convener of DU online admission committee, in an interview with UNB this week. Dhaka University, which is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding, has over 37,000 regular students in its 83 departments under 13 faculties. About 2,000 of the students or over six per cent are yet to get any proper ID cards of their studentship. Read: Legal notice served on Dhaka University for barring married students from halls For the lack the cards of their identity the students are facing problems such as borrowing books from the university library and in getting the recently-introduced half-fare ride in public transports. Besides, having this historic institution’s ID cards is also a matter of pride for the students. Transport operators have recently agreed to accept half-fare from students at every level provided they can show their IDs issued by their educational institutions. Most of the students without ID cards are from the social science faculty consisting 16 departments.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Liberation War Affairs Ministry on Wednesday recommended the government to provide every valiant freedom fighter with a digital certificate, smart identity card and a medal so that they do not face any hassle in availing of the facilities announced by the government for them. The recommendation came from the 21st meeting of the parliamentary body, held at the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Bhaban with its chairman Shajahan Khan in the chair. At the meeting, the committee discussed the Freedom Fighter Medal Guidelines, 2021 (Muktijoddha Padak Nitimala, 2021), the development activities of Rajdhani Supermarket, and the progress in implementation of the decisions taken in the Muktijoddha Kalyan Trust Board over the sale of fallow lands. READ: JS body for filling 1585 vacant posts in CHT primary schools The parliamentary watchdog suggested enhancement of the number of medals to distribute among qualified individuals, agencies or organisations as per the Freedom Fighter Medal Guidelines, 2021, said a handout. It also asked for installation of lifts or capsule lifts (elevators) in all the Muktijoddha Complexes so that the freedom fighters can easily move inside the complexes. READ: JS passes Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Bill   Committee members Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque (Gazipur-1), Rajiuddin Ahmed (Narsingdi-5), Major (Retd.) Rafiqul Islam, Bir Uttam (Chandpur-5), A.B Tajul Islam (Brahmanbaria-6), Kazi Firoz Rashid (Dhaka-6) and Waresat Hussain Belal (Netrakona-5) attended the meeting.