HC orders to include Bangabandhu’s 7 March speech in textbooks

The High Court on Wednesday ordered the concerned authorities to include the historic speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in textbooks of university, college, secondary and higher secondary levels.

A High Court division bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice Shahed Nuruddin passed the order after holding a further hearing on a rule issued earlier in this regard.

Petitioner Advocate Dr. Bashir Ahmed told the media that an expert committee will do the job of including the speech in textbooks.

The court also asked concerned authorities to expedite the work of building sculpture of the Father of the Nation at Suhrawardy Udyan and implement the earlier order of setting up Bangabandhu’s murals in all the districts.

The HC on February 25, 2020, had ordered authorities concerned to declare March 7 as ‘Historic National Day’ and issue a gazette notification within the next month in this regard.

The court on that day had issued the rule asking as to why it shall not pass the order to include the glorious history of March 7 in primary, secondary, intermediate and varsity curriculum.

The HC on November 20, 2017, had issued another rule asking the authorities concerned to explain in three weeks as to why March 7 shall not be declared as Historic National Day.

The court in its rule also had asked why a stage will not be recreated at the place in Suhrawardy Udyan, where Bangabandhu stood and delivered his historic speech on March 7, 1971, accorded reception to former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and where Pakistani occupation army surrendered to the allied force on December 16, 1971.

ARR