High Court orders govt to remove names of anti-liberation figures from establishments

The High Court has ordered authorities to erase the names of activists who had campaigned against Bangladesh’s independence from the installations and educational institutions.

The secretaries to the local government ministry and the education ministry have been asked to execute the order and submit a report within 60 days.

The bench of Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order on Tuesday upon hearing a supplementary petition to a 2012 appeal.

In that year, professor-historian Muntasir Mamun and secular activist Shahriar Kabir moved the High Court to issue an order to halt naming the streets and other establishments after those who opposed independence from Pakistan during the 1971 war.

The petition mentioned Khan-e-Sabur Road in Khulna and Shah Azizur Rahman Auditorium in Islami University in Kushtia.

The court, on May 14 the same year, passed an ad-interim order for a stay on using the two names.

It also issued an order against naming any installation in Bangladesh after anti-liberation figures.

The two plaintiffs filed another writ petition on Aug 25 last year stating that the court order was not being implemented.

The High Court then ordered the authorities to remove the two names and restore the name 'Jessore Road.'

In November last year, the High Court passed another order to change names of entities named after anti-liberation activists.

The two petitioners filed the latest petition along with a list of 20 entities containing names of anti-liberation activists, stating that the order has not been implemented in the last one year.

Barrister AK Rashidul Hoque, who argued for the petitioners, said: "It is shameful and unacceptable that a number of establishments are still named after those who have been convicted for war crimes.

“The government has not changed the names, nor has it taken any initiative to do so."

The court set Mar 1 for the next hearing.