Dhaka, June 24 (bdnews24.com)—The Supreme Court on Wednesday did not stay the High Court order that ruled that independence architect Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971.
The Appellate Division chamber judge Md Abdul Aziz asked the petitioner to get the copy of HC order and then file 'leave to appeal'—that is to make a plea to the court to accept the appeal against the verdict.
Retired wing commander BIr Pratik M Hamidullah Khan, who fought the independence war as sector 11 commander, filed an appeal to overturn the HC order on Tuesday.
The High Court on Sunday ruled that Sheikh Mujib, not Ziaur Rahman, a major in the Pakistan army, proclaimed the independence.
A two-judge bench of justices ABM Khairul Haque and Mamotaz Uddin Ahmed also ordered the cancellation of Bangladesh Liberation War Documents (Bangladesher Swadhinata Juddho Dalilpatra) that presented Ziaur Rahman, then a major in the Pakistan army, as the "declarer of independence".
The High Court verdict was given on a public interest litigation by freedom fighter MA Salam.
The verdict had also said those who were involved in such distortion of history have violated the constitution and the government could take punitive measures against them.
The High Court directed the government to include true history in textbooks at all level.
"By reviewing international and national newspapers and other documents, the court has established the truth that it was Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who proclaimed the independence," additional attorney general M Inayetur Rahim had told bdnews24.com after the verdict.
"This verdict has washed away the plot to distort the history of the independence proclamation by the anti-liberation quarter for long time," he said.
The writ petitioner Salam said, "The truth has won. Now the next generation will know the true history of independence proclamation."
bdnews24.com/at/khk/su/bd/1550h.
