The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has stayed a High Court verdict that declared August 15 a public holiday for National Mourning Day.
Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed issued the order on Monday after hearing an appeal against the High Court's verdict.
After Awami League came to power in 1996, August 15 — the day Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family were assassinated — began to be observed as National Mourning Day.
It was designated as a public holiday and celebrated as a Category "A" national day.
In 2002, the BNP-led coalition government repealed the decision to observe National Mourning Day.
Six years later, on July 27, 2008, the High Court reinstated August 15 as National Mourning Day.
Subsequently, in 2009, the High Court officially declared August 15 as National Mourning Day, and it has been observed as such since then.
However, on August 5 this year, following the fall of the Awami League government and the fleeing of Sheikh Hasina from the country, the interim government canceled the public holiday for August 15.
The decision to cancel the holiday was approved during an advisory council meeting on August 13, chaired by Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus.
A gazette notification canceling the holiday was also issued at that time.
