SC to pass order on govt petition today

The Supreme Court (SC) will pass an order today (Tuesday) on a petition filed by the government seeking a stay on the High Court order regarding the gazette notification on the 9th wage board award for journalists.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain fixed the date for passing the order after a hearing on Monday.

Earlier, the High Court issued status quo on the publication of the gazette notification on the recommendations of the 9th wage board.

During Monday's hearing, Advocate AF Hasan Ariff, a lawyer for the Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (NOAB), said, "Journalists are an integral part of the newspaper. Without journalists, newspaper is just a sheet of white paper. They are running the newspapers. Newspaper and journalists are complement to each other. Without newspaper, journalists do not exist."

In response, the Chief Justice said, "Without journalists, you (the owners of the newspapers) also do not exist."

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, who appeared for the government, told the court that the writ petition which challenged the legality of the 9th wage board and its recommendations is premature, as the government is yet to issue any gazette notification on the recommendations.

The NOAB can place their objections to the recommendations within 14 days after the gazette notification is issued, he added.

NOAB President Matiur Rahman filed the writ petition on August 5 challenging the legality of the ninth wage board.

After hearing the petition on August 6, a High Court (HC) bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice Mohammad Ali directed the government to maintain status quo on the publication of the gazette notification for two months.

The HC also issued a rule upon the government to explain as to why their move to finalise the 9th wage board award without giving any opportunity to the stakeholders (NOAB) to place their objections and suggestions should not be declared illegal or unlawful.

On August 8, the government filed a petition with the Appellate Division seeking a 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 a hearing on August 19.