Directive Issued to Form Committee for Checking Compliance with National Flag Rules

The Cabinet Secretary has been directed by the High Court to establish a three-person committee to look into whether it is against the law to display or hoist the national flag behind chairs and couches in government and statutory offices. The directive, which was issued by a bench made up of Justices Ahmed Sohel and S. M. Iftekhar Uddin Mahmud after a writ petition’s primary hearing, mandates that the committee, which is made up of a judicial officer, a public university instructor, and a Cabinet Division representative, submit its report within 60 days.

Advocate H. M. Sanzid Siddique argued the writ petition, which was submitted last Thursday by Dhaka court lawyer Advocate Md. Sharif Sarkar. It claims that using the flag without permission contradicts the Flag Rules, the Flag and Emblem Order, 1972, and the Bangladesh National Anthem. The court also issued a ruling questioning why it shouldn’t be deemed illegal for authorities without the necessary authority to make such prohibited usage. The state was represented throughout the hearings by Deputy Attorney General Khan Ziaur Rahman.

To maintain the flag’s dignity and honour, Advocate Sanzid Siddique stressed that the 1972 regulations strictly control its use, allowing it only on significant government buildings, cars belonging to eight certain types, and the homes of fifteen important people, including the President and Prime Minister. The petitioner’s side further stated that the Cabinet Secretary has been instructed to issue directives prohibiting the illegal display of the flag in all government and statutory office rooms, noting that office room displays are not permitted under the regulations.