Display Bangabandhu’s portrait at parliament-session room: HC

The High Court today directed the government to preserve and display the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the parliament-session room in Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Secretary to Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat has been asked to comply with the directive and to submit a compliance report to this court in a month.

A virtual HC bench of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice SM Kuddus Zaman passed the order after hearing a writ petition through video conferencing.

Advocate Subir Nandi Das, a Supreme Court lawyer, on August 12 filed the writ petition with the HC, seeking its directive upon the government to preserve and display the portrait of Bangabandhu at the parliament-session room in Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

In the petition, he said that there is an obligation for the respondents to preserve and display the portrait at the courtroom, parliament session room and other office rooms concerned as per Article 4 (A) of the constitution.

There is no portrait of Father of the Nation in the parliament session room of Jatiya Sangsad at present, he said, adding that the portrait of Bangabandhu had been displayed in the parliament session room of Jatiya Sangsad till August 15, 1975, the day when Bangabandhu and most of his family members were assassinated.

Following another writ petition, the HC on August 29 last year directed the authorities concerned to preserve and display Bangabandhu's portrait at all courtrooms across the country in next two months.

The government has implemented the directive, Advocate Subir said.

Subir Nandi Das argued for the petition while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Deputy Attorney General Amit Dasgupta represented state during today's hearing.