On Victory Day, as Bangladesh commemorates the triumph over Pakistani forces in 1971, dozens of valiant Freedom Fighters who risked their lives for independence remain imprisoned by the Jamaat-controlled interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus. These elderly heroes, many honoured with gallantry awards like Bir Bikram, Bir Protik, and Bir Uttam, face fabricated charges, with bail denied for months despite deteriorating health and lack of evidence. On the other hand, the anti-liberation parties, like Jamaat, AB Party, and NCP, led the countrywide programmes on this special day as the Awami League supporters looked for hideouts to evade arrest.
The Yunus-led administration has not assessed the damage to the Liberation War monuments and museums across the country since August last year, let alone attempted to restore the sites. Moreover, the definition of Freedom Fighters and the war narratives have been changed with the introduction of a new category called Associate Freedom Fighter.
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Latest reports indicate at least 23 confirmed freedom fighters detained nationwide since August 2024, accused in ongoing International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) cases or murder probes. Prosecutors have signalled that investigations into figures like Rashed Khan Menon and Golam Dastagir Gazi will extend into January 2026, prolonging their ordeal. Testimony continues against Hasanul Haq Inu, with claims of advisory roles in suppression efforts dismissed by supporters as vindictive.
Detained icons include Dr. Towfiq-E-Elahi Chowdhury, Bir Bikram and former energy adviser pivotal to national growth; Amir Hossain Amu, senior independence organiser; Shahjahan Khan, Mujib Bahini fighter and ex-minister; Asaduzzaman Noor, renowned actor and culture minister confined in Keraniganj amid chronic ailments; Golam Dastagir Gazi, Bir Protik seized in August 2024 over Narayanganj allegations; and Rashed Khan Menon, Workers Party leader arrested from Gulshan. The list extends to Dr. Abdur Razzaq; Dr. Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin; Ahmed Hossain; Tipu Munshi; Aftab Uddin Sarkar; Shamsul Haq Tuku; Abdul Latif Biswas; Bir Uttam Major (Retd.) Barrister Shahjahan Omar; Kazi Monirul Islam Monu; Abdus Shahid; war-wounded Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury; Captain (Retd.) A.B. Tajul Islam; Dipankar Talukdar; Kamal Ahmed Majumder; and local leaders Matiar Rahman and Shahidul Islam Milonโall enduring harsh conditions without relief.
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This repression drew sharp international condemnation in November 2025 when the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) unanimously slammed the Yunus regime for a “revenge spree” against over 100 Awami League ex-MPs, citing arbitrary arrests, inhumane treatment, mob attacks, denied medical care, and obstructed observers. The IPU highlighted six cases: Saber Hossain Chowdhury, battered in court; Fazle Karim Chowdhury, life in peril from untreated illnesses; Habibe Millat, homes torched, forcing exile; and Asaduzzaman Noor, Mosharraf Hossain, and Muhammad Faruk Khan, elderly detainees risking death without aid. It noted the September 2025 custodial death of Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, triggering hunger strikes, and demanded humanitarian bail, overseas treatment, and fair trialsโdemands ignored amid visa denials for IPU missions.
Critics portray these actions as part of a deliberate “Pakistanization” by the Yunus-Jamaat clique. The government lifted Jamaat-e-Islami’s ban in August 2024, with full registration restored by the Supreme Court in June 2025, empowering the party accused of 1971 collaboration with Pakistan. Yunus has pursued warmer ties with Islamabad through multiple 2025 meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s visit, and military engagements like General Sahir Shamshad Mirza’s October discussions on defense cooperationโreversing decades of frost over the Liberation War genocide.
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Reform commissions target the judiciary, police, army, administration, and education, ostensibly to depoliticise but allegedly to purge secular pro-liberation elements and install Islamist sympathisers. Minorities face rising attacks, echoing pre-1971 eras, as Pakistan’s influence grows via trade, investment, and intelligence links.
The regime claims prosecutions address 2024 atrocities, with February 2026 elections planned. Yet, prolonged jailing of war heroes, international rebukes, and Pakistan rapprochement stoke fears of betraying Bangladesh’s secular independence legacy on this solemn Victory Day. As health crises escalate and trials stall, the nation confronts a transition tainted by revenge and reversal.
In a damning international rebuke, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has unanimously condemned the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government for orchestrating a “revenge spree” against former Awami League lawmakers, including revered Liberation War heroes, through arbitrary arrests, inhumane detention conditions, and blatant violations of due process, as detailed in a resolution adopted at the IPU’s 216th Governing Council session in Geneva on October 23, 2025.
This scathing criticism highlights the plight of over 100 detained ex-MPs, many of whom are elderly freedom fighters facing fabricated charges in what critics brand as fictitious cases, with bail denied for months despite severe health deterioration.
The IPU resolution spotlights six prominent casesโthose of Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Fazle Karim Chowdhury, Habibe Millat, Asaduzzaman Noor, Mosharraf Hossain, and Muhammad Faruk Khan. These veterans have endured prolonged imprisonment in appalling conditions, with the IPU warning of imminent risks to their lives and demanding immediate humanitarian bail, overseas treatment where necessary, and full adherence to fair trial standards.
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