Photo: Collected
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has stayed a High Court order that declared "Joy Bangla" as the national slogan of Bangladesh. The apex court's appellate bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed gave the order today after hearing a state petition.
At the same time, the court allowed the state to file a regular appeal against the High Court's verdict. The state on 2 December filed the plea with the relevant wing of the Appellate Division. On 10 March 2020, the High Court bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader delivered the verdict declaring "Joy Bangla" the national slogan.
In the order, written in Bengali, the court had stated, "We declare that Joy Bangla shall be the national slogan of Bangladesh."
The High Court issued the verdict following a hearing on a writ petition filed in 2017 by Supreme Court lawyer Bashir Ahmed.
Making "Joy Bangla" the national slogan, the then Awami League government, in a gazette notification on 2 March 2022, had made it mandatory to utter the two words at all government offices during national celebrations.
It was made mandatory for all constitutional post holders, officials and staffers of autonomous, statutory and all government offices at home and abroad to chant the slogan after their speeches in observation of all national days and other state and government programmes, read the notification.
Moreover, it was made compulsory for teachers and students to say "Joy Bangla" after daily assemblies at educational institutions, rallies, and seminars as well.
Before that notification was issued, the cabinet, on 20 February that year, had decided to make "Joy Bangla" the national slogan in line with the 2020 High Court declaration.
Messenger/JRTarek
