The Passport

It was sometime in 1980 when this writer was in anxious wait for boarding a Lufthansa plane at Karachi airport for Frankfurt. The mission was: joining a three-month higher journalism course at the International Institute for Journalism in West Berlin in West Germany.

Karachi was not a familiar place to this scribe as I had never been in Pakistan before 1971. Harsh conditions in all aspects and memories of brutal genocide during the freedom struggle in erstwhile East Pakistan led to my sleeplessness during my overnight stay. At the airport, an Urdu-speaking immigration officer instantly made friendship with this writer. He was effusive over Bengali hospitality. He spoke highly of his friend then living in Nawabpur of Old Dhaka. He was inquiring from me about non-political topics that one usually asks after decades of absence.

After completing formalities, this writer then went to the waiting lounge where other Germany-bound passengers were waiting for Lufthansa flight. All on a sudden a really beautiful PIA air hostess started looking at waiting passengers including me, a young Bangladeshi who too was dazzled by her beauty. I was feeling 'a love at first sight'. She quite correctly thought I was the man she was looking for as many used to call me 'very handsome'. She rushed to me.

"Mr, where are you going?"

"West Berlin," I replied.

"Give me your passport", she instructed me sternly. I was trembling with fear now. I was nervous.

I was looking for my handbag where I used to keep my passport, ticket and foreign currencies.

"Oh, there is no passport of mine!" I was profusely perspiring in those times of winter.

The PIA hostess then took pity on me and put her hand in her handbag.

"Look, it's your passport. You left it at the immigration desk. Take it. And take care that there is no more absence of mind," she told me with a sweet smile.

"No M'm, there will not be any more mistake during journey," I assured her.

"No more any more, dear. You are nobody on this earth without a passport. You are stateless. Now you are a proud Bangladeshi. Take care and I wish you a happy journey."

And the air hostess left me behind with steps that were exquisitely feminine.

And three million valiant Bangladeshis had sacrificed their lives enduring the nine-month long bloody Liberation War in 1971 to present one and all Bangladeshis passports that they could hold dear to their hearts.

But did they swing into action with 'whatever you have' to fight the alien Frankensteins in 1971 for getting handsome state benefits that the post-liberation governments offered to all living and martyred freedom fighters? NO. They even did not know what fate they would have during the intense fighting with invaders. They too did not care about uncertain future that awaited them: they only cared about freedom of their motherland.

Believe it or not, there are still thousands who even now refuse to get freedom fighters' certificates although their frontal actions are being cited by their sons and daughters as their own prized possessions. Their argument is highly patriotic: they did not risk their lives to get certificates that would have given them monthly allowance, free housing, job quota to their children and what not. NO, these were not they had longed for. Even they did not know they would get their free and sovereign motherland so soon but at such a huge bloodshed.

Believe me, I was crying in silence when I saw Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq telling the parliament that 'fake freedom fighters' are still enjoying state allowances across Bangladesh due to a court order. "It is shameful for our nation that fake freedom fighters are still getting allowances. It is true. Because when we tried to drop their names from the list, the court stayed the scrutiny of freedom fighter lists before completion of the scrutiny process," he said. The court also ordered to continue the allowances of fake freedom fighters, even though the government stopped the allowance initially after finding fake names in the scrutiny process, he said, replying to a supplementary question. "So we're obliged to provide the allowance, it is unfortunate and we continue the legal fight in the court to review and withdraw such an order," the minister said.

AKM Mozammel Huq is a valiant son of the soil. He told lawmakers that cases are being filed with the court on grounds of violation of fundamental rights as the court considered recognition as freedom fighter a fundamental right. "But it is not a fundamental right. Those who fought in the 1971 Liberation War and took part with arms will be freedom fighters. It is not an equal right to all citizens." "We're in trouble due to misinterpretation of law. I would like to draw attention of the court from the legislature that becoming freedom fighter is not a fundamental right of any citizen. Only those who took part in the liberation war will be freedom fighters," Mozammel said.

At this stage, Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury suggested that the minister give instructions to his lawyers to raise the argument properly in the court in this regard. The Liberation War Affairs Minister said the court ordered him to include even a man, who had been only four years old in 1971, in the list of freedom fighters. "We've asked the court how we can make a 4-year-old child as a freedom fighter. The court even ordered to provide him with the arrears of 23 years," he said.

Happily, the government made an attempt to drop fake freedom fighters from the list. But sadly, a total of 116 cases were filed with the court challenging the government's move. The government is yet to drop fake freedom fighters from the list due to the court order. But the government is contesting the cases in the court and will be able to a finalise sub-district-based list of freedom fighters whenever the court's stay orders are withdrawn.

But it is now time for the government to take some hard decisions as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina did when some of the cabinet members proposed bringing brothers and sisters of the freedom fighters under the job quota but the PM dismissed their proposal instantly.

Grand daughters and grand sons of the freedom fighters must not be allowed to enjoy the quota benefits in the jobs of government, semi-government, autonomous and semi-autonomous organisations, institutions and corporations when no eligible freedom fighter is available. Bangladesh is still paying heavy price when freedom fighters, trained in arms, were inducted in the country's bureaucracy. Today, the country finds no competent bureaucrats like those in India and Sri Lanka to negotiate effectively with their foreign counterparts.

The writer is Editorial Consultant at The Financial Express. [email protected]