HC asks govt to suspend state gallantry awards of 4 Bangabandhu killers
The High Court today ordered the government to suspend the state gallantry awards of four convicted killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members.
The four absconding killers are: Nur Chowdhury, Shariful Haque Dalim, Rashed Chowdhury and Moslehuddin Khan.
Nur Chowdhury was given the gallantry award as Bir Bikram, Shariful Haque Dalim was given the title Bir Uttam, and Rashed Chowdhury and Moslehuddin Khan were given the honour of Bir Protik for their contribution during the Liberation War in 1971.
The then government had given the awards in 1973 and also issued a gazette notification to this effect on December 15 the same year.
According to the gazette notification, seven freedom fighters were given gallantry awards as Bir Shrestha, 68 were given the awards as Bir Uttam, 175 were given the awards as Bir Bikram and 426 were awarded as Bir Protik for their contribution in the Liberation War of Bangladesh.
The HC also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned of the government to explain in four weeks why their inaction to cancel the state gallantry awards of Nur Chowdhury, Shariful Haque Dalim, Rashed Chowdhury and Moslehuddin Khan -- as the convicted killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members -- should not be declared illegal.
Suspension of the four killers' gallantry awards will continue till disposal of the rule, the HC said.
The HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam came up with the order and rule following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Subir Nandi Das seeking necessary directives on this issue.
Subir Nandi Das submitted the writ petition as a public interest litigation to the HC on December 2 saying that the convicted killers of the Father of the Nation cannot have the state gallantry awards.
The state can cancel their awards under section 14 of the General Clauses Act, he said in the petition, adding that many states of the world including the USA have cancelled such awards of many people on different reasons.
Lawyer Abdul Kaiyum Khan appeared for the petitioner while Assistant Attorney General Kalipado Mridha represented the state.
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