Preserve places tinged with War of Liberation history: HC

The High Court yesterday directed the government to preserve and maintain all-important historical places including killing grounds, relating to the Liberation War of the country.
The court also asked the government to build monuments of international standard at Suhrawardy Udyan where Bangabandhu Shiekh Mujibur Rahman delivered his historic addresses on March 7, 1971 calling upon the people to break free from the subjugation of the Pakistani rules to achieve independence.
On December 16, 1971, the Pakistan occupation forces signed the instrument of surrender on December 16 at the same Uddyan marking the emergence of Bangladesh as a sovereign country.
The court also asked the government to form a committee consisting of politicians, historians, freedom fighters, anthropologists and sector commanders within the next three months to identify the important historical places in the country and erect memorials so that people from home and abroad visiting here can have access to these places to pay homage to the martyred freedom fighters, and also know the history of the Liberation War.
The HC bench comprising Justice ABM Khairul Haque and Justice Momtazuddin Ahmed delivered the verdict upon a writ petition filed by former army chief Maj Gen (Retd) KM Safiullah Bir Uttam and Prof Muntasir Mamun jointly as public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to preserve and maintain historic places related to the War of Liberation.
The HC in its order observed that the sector commanders who have fought for the independent by staking their lives should be accorded Independence Award.
Criticising conferring Independence Award on Bangabandhu, the HC said in its judgement that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is the Father of the Nation and he is the architect and symbol of the independence of the country. But, the government undermined him by giving ‘Independence Award’.
On June 25, upon the writ petition, the same High Court bench issued a rule upon the government to show cause as to why it should not be directed to take steps for preserving and maintaining the historic places like Suhrawardy Uddyan where Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered his historic speech on March 7, 1971 and Pakistani army surrendered to the Joint Command Forces of the Mukti Bahini (freedom fighters) on December 16, 1971. After two days of hearing on the rule, the court delivered the judgement.
Advocate Manzill Morshid moved on behalf of the petitioners while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam argued before the court supporting the writ petition.
Besides, vice chairman of Bangladesh Bar Council Advocate Abdul Baset Majumder and president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Advocate AFM Mesbahuddin made submissions supporting the statements of the petitioners as amicus curie.
After the judgement, one of the petitioner Prof Muntasir Mamun told reporters, “I am not only happy but also overwhelms to see the landmark verdict. Though we have been moving for a long time to preserve and maintain the historical places we could not be successful earlier, but the High Court passed the order today (Wednesday),” Mamun said.
“We hope that the government will come forward to preserve and maintain all historical places in the country as per the court order,” the writ petitioner said.
 
Courtesy of The Independent