Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Thursday warned Bangladesh Bank officials who were involved in editing and publishing a book titled “Bangladesh Bank-er Itihas (History of Bangladesh Bank)” as history was distorted in it.
Such a mistake should not be repeated in the future, warned the court adding that the mistake whether it was intentional or unintentional caused bloodshed in our hearts.
The court said that the offence has been proved in this regard. But the court has disposed of the ruling issued in this regard since the erroneous copies have already been confiscated and destroyed and the authorities have apologized to the court.
The HC Bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Mohammad Ali delivered the verdict after hearing a writ petition filed in this regard.
Earlier, Dr Kazi Ertaza Hasan, Chairperson of Bangladesh Human Rights Development Commission, filed a writ petition challenging some of the contents of the book published by the central bank in 2017.
According to the writ petition, Bangladesh Bank published “Bangladesh Bank-er Itihas”
in 2017 in which the picture of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was not included and his contribution in establishing the central bank was not mentioned in detail.
In the book the pictures of the then President of Pakistan Aiyub Khan and the then East Pakistan Provincial Governor Abdul Monem Khan were included, also read the petition.
Following the writ petition, the High Court on October 2 in 2018 directed the Finance Secretary to immediately form a probe committee to find out the people who are responsible for distorting the history in the book.
The HC also issued a rule asking the respondents to explain in a week as to why the distortion of the history of Bangladesh Bank in the book should not be declared illegal.
Six government high officials including the secretaries of the ministries of finance, home and Liberation War affairs were made respondents to the rule.
It also asked the authorities concerned of the government on February 19, 2019, to immediately confiscate all the copies of the book.
On that day, the HC also summoned Shuvangkar Saha, eEditor of the book and former Executive Director of Bangladesh Bank, to appear in the court to explain about the distortion of history in the book.
Complying with the court order, Shuvangkar Saha offered unconditional apology in the High Court on March 12 in 2019 admitting his mistake.
After hearing on the ruling and the compliances submitted by the Bangladesh Bank authorities, the court delivered the verdict on Thursday.
