STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman and State Minister for Shipping Razib Ahsan locked horns at the parliament yesterday over the number of July martyrs.

Speaking on the motion to thank the president for his speech, Razib said at least three MPs mentioned the number of July martyrs. “One claimed that 844 people were martyred, another said the number was over 1,000, and yet another mentioned 1,400 martyrs.”

He said the health ministry had initially reported -- based on hospital sources -- that more than 1,400 were martyred, and even UN agencies echoed that figure.

Later, however, the liberation war ministry issued a gazette that cancelled previous gazettes and published a final list of 844 martyrs.

He said the leader of the opposition, Shafiqur Rahman, at a programme on April 14, 2026, said he had visited homes of 1,200 martyrs out of 1,400.

“But the government gazette lists 844. How could you have visited 1,200 homes out of 1,400? I cannot understand this.

SEE PAGE 9 COL 1