The Supreme Court upholds the High Court's decision designating August 15 as a national holiday

The full bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, issued an order today in response to a leave-to-appeal petition filed by the government challenging the High Court's judgment. On August 13, the interim government's advisory council decided that August 15 would no longer be observed as a national holiday.  

August 15, 1975, marked the tragic assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members during a military coup orchestrated by a faction of army officers. In response to a writ petition, the High Court on July 27, 2008, declared unlawful the BNP-led four-party alliance government’s decision to cancel the observance of National Mourning Day and the public holiday on August 15. The petition had been filed by three leaders from Awami League-affiliated organizations.  

The same High Court bench, consisting of Justice Mohammad Abdur Rashid and Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam, also nullified another order by the BNP-led government that prohibited flying the national flag at half-mast to honor Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.  

On August 8, 1996, the Awami League government, under then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, issued a directive officially designating August 15 as National Mourning Day and a public holiday, in recognition of Bangabandhu's pivotal role in the nation’s independence movement.