Rename Khan A Sabur Road, Shah Aziz Auditorium

The High Court yesterday 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 anti-liberation forces.

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.

The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman came up with the order during the hearing on a rule in this regard.

Following a writ petition, the HC on May 14, 2012 issued the rule asking the government authorities concerned to explain why structures named after collaborators of Pakistanis should not be renamed and why they should not be directed to rename those roads, buildings and other structures after freedom fighters.

Talking to The Daily Star, petitioners' lawyer AKM Rashedul Huq said the HC yesterday asked the Khulna City Corporation mayor to change the name of Khan A Sabur Road into its former name.

Prof Muntassir Mamun of History department of Dhaka University and eminent author Shahriar Kabir filed the writ petition saying 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 Liberation War.

They said a road in Khulna and an auditorium of Islamic University were named after Khan A Sabur and Shah Azizur Rahman who were “collaborators of Pakistanis and leaders of anti-liberation forces”.