“Joy Bangla”: a petition calls for upholding of the HC verdict which made it a national slogan

The state today (December 2) filed a petition seeking stay of the High Court verdict which declared ‘Joy Bangla’ as the national slogan.

The petition is expected to be heard on the docket of the Appellate Division next Sunday (December 8), Additional Solicitor General Aneek R Haque told reporters.

On March 10, 2020, a High Court bench comprising Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader delivered the verdict declaring ‘Joy Bangla’ as the national slogan.

In the order, written in Bengali, the court had said: “We declare that Joy Bangla shall be the national slogan of Bangladesh. »

The High Court delivered the verdict following a hearing on a petition filed in 2017 by Supreme Court lawyer Dr Bashir Ahmed.

Making ‘Joy Bangla’ the national slogan, the then Awami League government, in a gazette notification dated March 2, 2022, had made it mandatory to pronounce these two words in all government offices during the celebrations national.

It has been made compulsory for all constitutional office holders, civil servants and staff of autonomous, statutory and government offices in the country and abroad to chant the slogan after their speeches on the occasion of all national days and other state and government programs, the notification read.

Moreover, it has been made mandatory for teachers and students to say “Joy Bangla” after daily assemblies in educational institutions, gatherings and seminars.

Before this notification was issued, the cabinet had decided on February 20 that year to make ‘Joy Bangla’ the national slogan, as per the High Court’s 2020 declaration.