SC stays HC verdict declaring Aug 15 national holiday

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has stayed a High Court verdict that justified August 15 as national mourning day and public holiday.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has stayed a High Court verdict that justified August 15 as national mourning day and public holiday.

The full bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed passed the order today following a leave to appeal petition filed by the government challenging the HC judgement.

On August 13, the advisory council of the interim government took the decision that there would be no national holiday on August 15.

On August 15, 1975, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated along with most of his family members in a military coup led by a group of disgruntled army officers.

Following a writ petition, the HC on July 27, 2008, declared illegal the BNP-led four-party alliance government's order for cancelling observance of the national mourning day and a public holiday on August 15.Upon the writ petition filed by three leaders of Awami League's front organisations, the then HC bench comprising Justice Mohammad Abdur Rashid and Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam cancelled the same BNP-led government's another order that had prohibited flying of the national flag at half-mast for paying respect to the memory of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

An Awami League government headed by erstwhile prime minister Sheikh Hasina issued an order on August 8, 1996, declaring August 15, national mourning day and a public holiday in recognition of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's contribution to the struggle for the country's independence.