HC scraps age limit for freedom fighters’ eligibility

The High Court has scrapped three government circulars imposing a minimum age of 12 and a half years to be eligible for the status of a freedom fighter.

Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil issued the rule after hearing 15 writs challenging the age limit. 

The court declared unconstitutional the imposition of the age restriction on the definition of ‘Bir Muktijoddha’ under section 11 of Freedom Fighters’ Welfare Trust Act.

The court also ordered the authorities to resume payment of the freedom fighters’ honorarium, including the arrears, to the petitioners.  

The government in 2014 issued a circular fixing the minimum age of a freedom fighter 13 years as of March 26, 1971.

Later on, in January last year, the government amended the gazette notification re-fixing the minimum age of the freedom fighter as 12 years and six months as of November 30, 1971.