'Joy Bangla': Petition seeks stay on HC verdict that made it national slogan

The state today (2 December) filed a petition seeking a stay on the High Court's verdict that declared "Joy Bangla" as the national slogan.

The petition is set to be heard in the Appellate Division's cause list next Sunday (8 December), Additional Attorney General Barrister Aneek R Haque told reporters.

On 10 March, 2020, a High Court bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader delivered the verdict declaring "Joy Bangla" as the national slogan. 

In the order, written in Bengali, the court had stated, "We declare that Joy Bangla shall be the national slogan of Bangladesh."

The High Court issued the verdict following a hearing on a writ petition filed in 2017 by Supreme Court lawyer Dr Bashir Ahmed.

Making "Joy Bangla" the national slogan, the then Awami League government, in a gazette notification on 2 March 2022, had made it mandatory to utter the two words at all government offices during national celebrations.

It was made mandatory for all constitutional post holders, officials and staffers of autonomous, statutory and all government offices at home and abroad to chant the slogan after their speeches in observation of all national days and other state and government programmes, read the notification.

Moreover, it was made compulsory for teachers and students to say "Joy Bangla" after daily assemblies at educational institutions, rallies, and seminars as well.

Before that notification was issued, the cabinet, on 20 February of that year, had decided to make "Joy Bangla" the national slogan in line with the 2020 High Court declaration.