Yunus govt had appealed against 2020 HC ruling declaring ‘Joy Bangla’ national slogan. Bangladesh SC stays HC judgment, says it’s govt’s policy decision and judiciary can’t interfere…reports Asian Lite News
Bangladesh Supreme Court has stayed a High Court verdict that declared ‘Joy Bangla’ — popularised by Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman — as the country’s national slogan.
Rahman’s daughter Sheikh Hasina was ousted as prime minister on August 5. Recently, the country’s central bank decided to remove Rahman’s image from currency notes.
Following the change of government, the state moved to suspend the High Court’s ruling and on December 2 filed the leave to appeal petition with the SC seeking stay on the High Court verdict of March 10, 2020.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed on Tuesday passed the order on the ground that the national slogan is a matter of the government’s policy decision and the judiciary cannot interfere in this issue.
The full bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed passed the order following a leave to appeal petition filed by the government challenging the High Court judgement, newspaper Daily Star said on Wednesday.
“’Joy Bangla’ will not be considered as the national slogan following this Appellate Division order,” said Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque, who appeared for the government during the hearing.
After ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled th e country following a students’ protest on August 5, an interim government headed by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus took over on August 8.
Following the change of government, the state moved to suspend the High Court’s ruling and on December 2 filed the leave to appeal petition with the SC seeking stay on the High Court verdict of March 10, 2020.
It had declared ‘Joy Bangla’ as the country’s national slogan and ordered the government to take necessary steps so that the slogan is used at all state functions and academic institutions’ assemblies.
Later, on February 20, 2022, the cabinet led by Hasina issued a notice recognising it as the national slogan and the Awami League government issued a gazette notification on March 2, 2022, news portal RisingBD.com said.
On December 1 this year, the apex court stayed another High Court verdict that justified August 15 as the national mourning day and public holiday.
Earlier on August 13, the advisory council of the interim government took the decision that there would be no national holiday on August 15.
Media reports said last week that Bangladesh Bank is printing new notes, including in them features of the July uprising, referring to the student-led protests that forced Hasina to flee to India on August 5, and not include the image of ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Rights lawyer to move plea for Das’ bail
Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi lawyer and human rights activist will move again for the bail of detained priest, Chinmoy Krishna Das, later today (Thursday) at a court in Chittagong.
Advocate Rabindra Ghosh, a senior lawyer of Bangladesh Supreme Court and human rights activist, on Wednesday, made a prayer to a court in Chittagong to change the date of the bail hearing of spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das.
The court dismissed the petition as Chinmoy Krishna Das did not authorize power to the lawyer Ghosh who submitted the plea.
“After rejecting my plea, I went to the jail and collected the power from Chinmoy to move his case. The jail superintendent has confirmed on the copy of the power. I will apply to the court again on Thursday”, Ghosh said.
Ghosh went to Chittagong from Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka and submitted a plea to the court for Chinmoy Krishna Das on Wednesday.
“I moved an application to Chittagong court to fix an early date for bail hearing of Chinmoy Krishna Das but at that time about 30 lawyers entered the courtroom without the permission of the court and tried to assault me,” Ghosh said late on Wednesday.
“They taunt me as ISKCON agent, Chinmoy’s agent. They wanted to know why I came here. They say a lawyer was killed. They call me a murderer. I came as an advocate. How am I a murderer !” he added.
“The judge scolded them. They could not attack me because the police were there”, Ghosh said.
Ghosh argued that Chinmoy’s lawyer could not attend the hearing as the murder case was filed against him. Ghosh applied on his behalf but the court rejected.
Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former priest of ISKCON, was arrested by police from Dhaka Airport on November 25 on the charge of sedition.
On November 26, a court in Bangladesh’s port city of Chittagong rejected his bail prayer and ordered him to be sent to prison.
His followers lay in front of his prison van and blocked it. Police cleared after clashes with the protesters. A lawyer named Saiful Islam Alif was killed during the clashes.
On December 3, the Chittagong court had fixed January 2 for a bail hearing as the prosecution submitted a time petition and there was no lawyer to represent Chinmoy.
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