HC stays govt decision to remove Ziaur Rahman’s name from titles of 2 Bogura schools

The High Court today stayed for six months the education ministry's decision to remove the name of late president Ziaur Rahman from the titles of two high schools in Bogura.

The schools are: Shahid Ziaur Rahman Girls' High School and Gabtali Shahid Zia High School.

The education ministry on April 19 this year issued an order changing the name of Shahid Ziaur Rahman Girls High School to Sukhanpukur Bondor Girls High School and Gabtali Shahid Zia High School to Gabtali Purba Para High School.

Today, the HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam stayed the education ministry's decision for six months.

The HC bench also issued two separate rules asking the authorities concerned of the government to explain in four weeks why they should not be ordered to reinstate the name of Ziaur Rahman to titles of the schools.

The bench came up with the orders and rules following two separate writ petitions filed by Supreme Court lawyers Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal and Khaled Mahbubur Rahman challenging the legality of the education ministry's decision.

They recently submitted the petitions to the HC, saying that the education ministry has changed the names of two high schools from political intention without mentioning any specific reason.

Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy told The Daily Star that the functions of the schools will run as usual following the HC order.

He, however, could not say instantly whether the government will move any appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, challenging the HC directives.