ID :
15607
Tue, 08/12/2008 - 11:58
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/15607
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Bangladesh reinstates Aug 15 as Mourning Day By Anisur Rahman
Dhaka, Aug 12 (PTI) Emergency-ruled Bangladesh has reinstated August 15 as the national mourning day to commemorate the 1975 assassination of the country's founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The Council of Advisers or the interim cabinet with Chief
Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair took the decision in a
weekly meeting last night in compliance with a High Court
(HC) ruling two weeks ago.
Detained former prime minister Khaleda Zia's rightwing
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-party-led four-party
coalition government had scrapped the status of the day on
assuming office after the 2001 general elections.
On a writ petition filed by several lawyers, the High
Court on July 27 declared the decision "illegal", ordered that
the day be observed as a national holiday and cancelled the
then government's decision prohibiting hoisting of the
national flag at half-mast on the day.
Sheikh Mujib, fondly called as "Bangabandhu" or "friend
of Bengal", was killed along with most of his family members
in a military coup on August 15, 1975.
Two of his daughters, former premier Sheikh Hasina and
Sheikh Rehana survived the putsch as they were abroad.
The day was declared as the National Mourning Day when
Hasina led his Awami League back to power after 21 years in
political wilderness.
The delayed trial in the former premier's assassination
was initiated in 1996 to bring the killers, all former
military officers, to justice and a Dhaka court in 1998 handed
down death sentence to 15 of them.
The High Court later confirmed the death sentence of 12
of the accused but the case now remains pending with the
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for final confirmation
of the penalties.
Only five of the convicts are now in jail. The rest were
tried in absentia as they fled the country following Awami
League's assumption of power in 1996.
Awami League today welcomed the government's decision
with its acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam saying
"we welcome it whole heartedly".
"We congratulate the caretaker government and its all
advisers for declaring August 15 as National Mourning Day and
a public holiday in line with the High Court verdict."
Mujib was Bangaladesh's first President and also served
as the country's prime minister from 1972 to 1975. PTI AR
The Council of Advisers or the interim cabinet with Chief
Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair took the decision in a
weekly meeting last night in compliance with a High Court
(HC) ruling two weeks ago.
Detained former prime minister Khaleda Zia's rightwing
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-party-led four-party
coalition government had scrapped the status of the day on
assuming office after the 2001 general elections.
On a writ petition filed by several lawyers, the High
Court on July 27 declared the decision "illegal", ordered that
the day be observed as a national holiday and cancelled the
then government's decision prohibiting hoisting of the
national flag at half-mast on the day.
Sheikh Mujib, fondly called as "Bangabandhu" or "friend
of Bengal", was killed along with most of his family members
in a military coup on August 15, 1975.
Two of his daughters, former premier Sheikh Hasina and
Sheikh Rehana survived the putsch as they were abroad.
The day was declared as the National Mourning Day when
Hasina led his Awami League back to power after 21 years in
political wilderness.
The delayed trial in the former premier's assassination
was initiated in 1996 to bring the killers, all former
military officers, to justice and a Dhaka court in 1998 handed
down death sentence to 15 of them.
The High Court later confirmed the death sentence of 12
of the accused but the case now remains pending with the
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for final confirmation
of the penalties.
Only five of the convicts are now in jail. The rest were
tried in absentia as they fled the country following Awami
League's assumption of power in 1996.
Awami League today welcomed the government's decision
with its acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam saying
"we welcome it whole heartedly".
"We congratulate the caretaker government and its all
advisers for declaring August 15 as National Mourning Day and
a public holiday in line with the High Court verdict."
Mujib was Bangaladesh's first President and also served
as the country's prime minister from 1972 to 1975. PTI AR
