The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday stayed a High Court (HC) verdict that declared August 15 as national mourning day and public holiday.
A five-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed passed the order following a leave to appeal petition filed by the interim government challenging the HC judgement.
Earlier on August 13, the advisory council of the current government headed by Dr Muhammad Yunus took the decision that there would be no national holiday on August 15. On August 15, 1975, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated along with most of his family members in a military coup led by a group of army officers.
On August 8, 1996, an Awami League government headed by its leader Sheikh Hasina issued an order declaring August 15 as the national mourning day and a public holiday in recognition to Sheikh Mujib's contribution to the struggle for the country's independence.
However, in 2002, a BNP-led four-party alliance government decided to cancel observance of the day. Challenging the decision, three leaders of Awami League's front organisations filed a writ petition with the HC.
As a result of the writ petition, the HC on July 27, 2008, declared that the order of cancellation of national mourning day and a public holiday observance on August 15 is illegal.
The then HC bench, comprising Justice Mohammad Abdur Rashid and Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam, cancelled BNP-led government's another order, which had prohibited flying of the national flag at half-mast for paying respect to the memory of Sheikh Mujib.
Recently, the state filed an appeal seeking a stay on the HC verdict, which legalised the prohibition.
Meanwhile, the state has pleaded to stay another HC order that declared 'Joy Bangla' as the national slogan of Bangladesh.
Confirming the information to journalists, Additional Attorney General Barrister Aneek Rushd Haque said the petition in this regard was filed with the concerned wing of the Appellate Division and it is likely to be heard next Sunday. 'Joy Bangla' was declared as the national slogan of the country on March 10, 2020, after HC passed the order.
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