ID :
14052
Mon, 07/28/2008 - 10:17
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http://m.oananews.org//node/14052
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B'desh court restores holiday in honour of Sheikh Mujib
By Anisur Rahman Dhaka, July 28 (PTI) Bangladesh's High Court Sunday restored August 15 as National Mourning Day to mark the assassination of country's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, quashing a decision by the previous Khaleda Zia'sgovernment to scrap its status.
The court ruled "that August 15 be restored to its original status of national mourning day and a public holiday," Supreme Court lawyer Mozammel Haque told reporters as the verdict came on a writ petition filed by lawyers nearlya year ago.
A bench comprising Justices Mohammad Abdur Rashid and M.
Ashfakul Islam had on August six asked the current caretaker government to explain why the Zia government's decision shouldnot be declared illegal.
Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (B.N.P.)-led four party government had scrapped the status after it assumed power in October, 2001 elections. Her arch-arival and AwamiLeague chief Sheikh Hasina is Mujibur's daughter.
Sheikh Mujib, fondly called as 'Bangabandhu'(friend of Bengal), was killed along with most of his family members in a military coup on August 15, 1975. His two daughters former prime minister Hasina and Sheikh Rehana survived the putsch asthey were abroad at that time.
The day was declared as the National Mourning Day when Hasina's Awami League came back to power in 1996 after 21years in political wilderness.
The Awami League today welcomed the judgement calling it an "historic event" and hoped the current interim governmentwill respect the court's directive.
"We also expect the government to take appropriate steps for the execution of (Mujib's) killers," Acting Awami Leaguepresident Zillur Rahman told reporters.
The delayed trial into Mujib's killing was initiated during Hasina's rule and a Dhaka court in 1998 handed downdeath sentence to 15 of the accused.
The High Court later confirmed the death sentence of 12 of the convicts but the case is pending with the AppellateDivision of the Supreme Court.
Only five of the convicts were now in jail as the restwere tried in absentia after they fled the country.
After its installation with crucial military support following the January 2007 proclamation of emergency, the current interim administration revised school textbooks recognising Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as 'Father ofthe Nation'.
Zia and Hasina were arrested by the government under its massive anti-graft drive last year. However, the 60-year-old Awami League leader was released on bail last month and allowed to go abroad for "treatment". PTI AR
The court ruled "that August 15 be restored to its original status of national mourning day and a public holiday," Supreme Court lawyer Mozammel Haque told reporters as the verdict came on a writ petition filed by lawyers nearlya year ago.
A bench comprising Justices Mohammad Abdur Rashid and M.
Ashfakul Islam had on August six asked the current caretaker government to explain why the Zia government's decision shouldnot be declared illegal.
Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (B.N.P.)-led four party government had scrapped the status after it assumed power in October, 2001 elections. Her arch-arival and AwamiLeague chief Sheikh Hasina is Mujibur's daughter.
Sheikh Mujib, fondly called as 'Bangabandhu'(friend of Bengal), was killed along with most of his family members in a military coup on August 15, 1975. His two daughters former prime minister Hasina and Sheikh Rehana survived the putsch asthey were abroad at that time.
The day was declared as the National Mourning Day when Hasina's Awami League came back to power in 1996 after 21years in political wilderness.
The Awami League today welcomed the judgement calling it an "historic event" and hoped the current interim governmentwill respect the court's directive.
"We also expect the government to take appropriate steps for the execution of (Mujib's) killers," Acting Awami Leaguepresident Zillur Rahman told reporters.
The delayed trial into Mujib's killing was initiated during Hasina's rule and a Dhaka court in 1998 handed downdeath sentence to 15 of the accused.
The High Court later confirmed the death sentence of 12 of the convicts but the case is pending with the AppellateDivision of the Supreme Court.
Only five of the convicts were now in jail as the restwere tried in absentia after they fled the country.
After its installation with crucial military support following the January 2007 proclamation of emergency, the current interim administration revised school textbooks recognising Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as 'Father ofthe Nation'.
Zia and Hasina were arrested by the government under its massive anti-graft drive last year. However, the 60-year-old Awami League leader was released on bail last month and allowed to go abroad for "treatment". PTI AR
