The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for publication of the gazette notification to implement the recommendations of the ninth wage board for journalists.
The apex court stayed for eight weeks the High Court order that issued status quo on publication of the gazette notification.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order after concluding the hearing on a petition filed by the government seeking stay on the High Court order.
Advocate AF Hasan Ariff appeared for the Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam stood for the government.
After the court order, AF Hasan Ariff said, "Today's order is good news for the journalists. We (NOAB) wanted that the board would take the decision after giving us an opportunity to place our opinion. It is mentioned in the law. We wanted this space."
"As the High Court order has been stayed for eight weeks, the government can now publish the gazette of the wage board if it wants," he added.
Bangladesh Newspaper Employees Federation president Md Matiur Rahman Talukder and secretary general Md Khairul Islam thanked the authorities concerned for their support. They urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to announce the wage board award as soon as possible.
President of the Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh Matiur Rahman filed a writ petition on August 05 challenging the legality of publication of the ninth wage board.
After hearing the petition, the HC bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice Mohammad Ali on August 06 directed the government to maintain status quo for two months on publication of the gazette notification.
The HC also issued a rule upon the government to explain as to why their move of finalising the Ninth wage board-without giving any opportunity to the stakeholders (NOAB) for placing objections and suggestions-should not be declared illegal or unlawful.
On August 08, the government filed a petition with the Appellate Division seeking stay on the High Court order. On August 14, Chamber judge of the Appellate Division Justice Md Nuruzzaman sent the stay petition to its full bench for hearing on August 19.
On Monday, the four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC fixed Tuesday for passing the order on the High Court order of status quo.
The government on January 29 last year constituted the ninth wage board to propose enhanced salary and other benefits for journalists and other employees of newspapers and news agencies.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader recently said the ninth wage board award would be announced soon.
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