Declare 7 March as ‘National Historic Day’: HC

The High Court on Tuesday directed the government to declare 7 March as the ‘National Historic Day’ and issue a gazette notification in this regard within a month, reports UNB.

The bench of justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and justice KM Kamrul Kader passed the order after hearing a writ petition in this regard.

The court also sought the progress report over the matter within a month.

It directed for installing the mural of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in all districts and upazilas of the country within the ‘Mujib Borsho’ (Year).

The court also expressed its resentment as a previous HC order of 2009 with several directives to remove establishments constructed at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital after 16 December 1971 was not implemented.

The court asked the Cabinet to submit a written explanation over the matter.

Advocate Bashir Ahmed stood for the writ petitioner while deputy attorney general Abdullah Al Mahmud Basar represented the state.

Earlier on 6 February, HC asked the government to inform it by Tuesday about its plan on Suhrawardy Udyan where Father of the Nation delivered the historic 7 March speech in 1971.

The writ petition was filed seeking HC directives to reinstate the stages at the same places where Bangabandhu had delivered the 7 March speech, Pakistani force surrendered, and gratitude extended to then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi by Bangladesh, and set up an statue of Bangabandhu, a museum and declare 7 March as the Historic National Day.

After hearing the writ on 20 November 2017, the High Court issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why directives should not be given to set up a Bangabandhu’s speech-mode sculpture at the place.

The court had also wanted to know as to why directives should not be given to take necessary steps to preserve the place for the next generation as a historical one.

On 4 March 2018, the HC issued another rule asking the government to explain as to why directives should not be given to set up a Bangabandhu’s speech-mode sculpture at the place where he had delivered the historic 7 March speech in 1971.