Remove names of collaborators from all places in 2 months: HC

The High Court yesterday asked the government to remove the names of collaborators of the Pakistani occupation forces from all the installations in the country including educational institutions and roads, within two months. The HC bench comprising Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order during a hearing on a rule issued in 2012 in this regard. The HC bench asked the education secretary and local government secretary to submit a compliance report before it within two months. It also fixed March 31 for passing further order on the matter. Prof Muntassir Mamun of the history department of Dhaka University and eminent author Shahriar Kabir filed the writ petition with the HC in 2012 seeking removal of names of anti-liberation persons from different establishments, roads and structures in the country.   The petition said that many structures have been named after leaders of anti-liberation forces at different times since the country’s independence which goes against the spirit of the War of Liberation.
In response to the petition, the HC, in May 2012, issued the rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why structures named after collaborators of Pakistani forces should not be renamed and why they should not be directed to rename those roads, buildings and other structures after freedom fighters. During a hearing on the rule, the HC in August the same year directed the authorities concerned to immediately rename Khan A Sabur Road in Khulna and Shah Azizur Rahman Auditorium of Islamic University in Kushtia as those were named after two collaborators of Pakistani forces.
Khan A Sabur was Ayub Khan’s communications minister during the Pakistan period while Shah Azizur Rahman was prime minister during Ziaur Rahman’s regime. Both of them were leaders of Muslim League in 1971, which opposed the birth of Bangladesh. The court said Khan A Sabur Road will now be called Jessore Road as per its previous name and the university authorities will rename its auditorium.
Advocate AKM Rashedul Huq, counsel for the petitioners, told reporters that they submitted a supplementary petition to the HC yesterday annexing a list of names of 20 collaborators that are still now on the nameplates of some structures.

Remove names of collaborators from all places in 2 months: HC

The High Court yesterday asked the government to remove the names of collaborators of the Pakistani occupation forces from all the installations in the country including educational institutions and roads, within two months. The HC bench comprising Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order during a hearing on a rule issued in 2012 in this regard. The HC bench asked the education secretary and local government secretary to submit a compliance report before it within two months. It also fixed March 31 for passing further order on the matter. Prof Muntassir Mamun of the history department of Dhaka University and eminent author Shahriar Kabir filed the writ petition with the HC in 2012 seeking removal of names of anti-liberation persons from different establishments, roads and structures in the country. The petition said that many structures have been named after leaders of anti-liberation forces at different times since the countrys independence which goes against the spirit of the War of Liberation. In response to the petition, the HC, in May 2012, issued the rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why structures named after collaborators of Pakistani forces should not be renamed and why they should not be directed to rename those roads, buildings and other structures after freedom fighters. During a hearing on the rule, the HC in August the same year directed the authorities concerned to immediately rename Khan A Sabur Road in Khulna and Shah Azizur Rahman Auditorium of Islamic University in Kushtia as those were named after two collaborators of Pakistani forces. Khan A Sabur was Ayub Khans communications minister during the Pakistan period while Shah Azizur Rahman was prime minister during Ziaur Rahmans regime. Both of them were leaders of Muslim League in 1971, which opposed the birth of Bangladesh. The court said Khan A Sabur Road will now be called Jessore Road as per its previous name and the university authorities will rename its auditorium. Advocate AKM Rashedul Huq, counsel for the petitioners, told reporters that they submitted a supplementary petition to the HC yesterday annexing a list of names of 20 collaborators that are still now on the nameplates of some structures.