Why will Prof Yunus not be declared ‘national reformer’ and those killed in uprising ‘national martyrs’: HC

The High Court has issued a ruling asking why no order will be issued to declare Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus “national reformer”.

The court on Monday also asked why no order will be issued to publish the actual list of the those, including Abu Sayeed and Mugdho, killed during the mass uprising in 2024 and declare them “national martyrs”.

The HC bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Sayed Jahed Mansur issued today the rulings after holding a hearing on a writ petition, filed in February.

Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) member Imdadul Haque filed the writ.

Professor Muhammad Yunus is currently acting as the chief adviser of the interim government, formed after the fall of the Awami League government in 2024.

Mohammad Ali Jinnah represented the writ petitioner in the court while Deputy Attorney General Shafiqur Rahman and Assistant Attorney General Ikramul Kabir represented the state.

Following the order, Mohammad Ali Jinnah told Prothom Alo, “Professor Muhammad Yunus has bravely come forward to steer the country after the July uprising. After assuming power, he said he will move forward with the reform initiatives to build the state anew. He constituted several reform commissions to this end…. He himself said he wants to work so that there could be comparison (of Bangladesh) with Malaysia or other developed countries.”

Stating that except the fascist government’s party, everyone else supported him, lawyer Mohammad Ali Jinnah further said, “He (Muhammad Yunus) started the reforms by constituting reform commissions taking opinions. Already some of the reform initiatives have been carried out. Expressing our consensus, we filed the writ seeking an announcement terming him a national reformer. It also sought an announcement terming Abu Sayeed, Mugdho and others who were killed in the July uprising as national martyrs. The High Court has issued a ruling in this regard.”

Public administration secretary, defence secretary, cabinet division secretary, law secretary, information and broadcasting secretary and finance secretary were made respondents in the ruling.