Top court halts HC verdict declaring Aug 15 a public holiday

A five-member bench led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed made the decision based on an appeal from the state

The Appellate Division has suspended the High Court decision declaring Aug 15 as National Mourning Day and a public holiday.

A five-member bench led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed issued the ruling based on an appeal petition from the state on Sunday.

Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque presented the petition for the state at the hearing.

“The Appellate Division has accepted the leave to appeal filed by the state challenging the 2008 High Court verdict and suspended it,” he said.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and members of his family were assassinated on Aug 15, 1975. In 1996, the Awami League came to power and declared Aug 15 as National Mourning Day and a national holiday.

In 2001, when the BNP-led 4-Party Alliance formed the government, they scrapped the designation of Aug 15 as National Mourning Day and cancelled the public holiday.

In 2008, the High Court decided, based on a petition, to scrap the order by the BNP-led government and keep Aug 15 as National Mourning Day and a public holiday.

The state has now challenged that decision.

On Aug 5, Sheikh Hasina resigned her premiership and fled the country in the face of a mass movement. An interim government then came to power.

On Aug 13, the interim government decided to again scrap National Mourning Day and its designation as a public holiday.