HC refuses petition on Shab-e-Barat date

The High Court yesterday once again refused to allow a religious organisation to file a writ petition seeking its directive upon Islamic Foundation to set the night of April 20 for observing Shab-e-Barat.

The HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahsan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader said Islamic Foundation has already declared that Shab-e-Barat will be observed on the night of April 21.

“We are not inclined to give permission for filing a writ petition to change the date. If we interfere on this issue at this stage, confusion will be created,” Justice FRM Nazmul Ahsan said when Khurshid Alam Khan, the lawyer for Majlisu Ruiatul Hilal, prayed for permission to file the writ petition yesterday.

The court may interfere if the organisation moves a petition for making the moon sighting committee more active in the future, the bench said.

Khurshid told the court that another HC bench led by Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury also refused to accept the same writ petition.

Islamic Foundation decided that Shab-e-Barat, a holy night for Muslims, will be observed on the night of April 21 -- after holding a meeting with the National Moon Sighting Committee at the foundation's Baitul Mukarram office on April 16 afternoon, with State Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in the chair.

All 11 members of a sub-committee, formed with Islamic scholars on April 13 to resolve the confusion over the date, were also present at the meeting, a press release said.

On April 15, the same HC bench did not allow the organisation to file a writ petition. On that day, the bench asked it to wait until yesterday, as a committee formed on April 13 has already submitted its report to the Islamic Foundation to clear the confusion over the observance of the holy night.

Following the report, the Foundation on April 16 declared that Shab-e-Barat will be observed on the night of April 21.

Deputy Attorney General ABM Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar and Assistant Attorney General Md Saiful Alam vehemently opposed the prayer for permission to move the petition.