The High Court (HC) was told yesterday that the government will protect and maintain historic places related to liberation war as per the provisions of the constitution.

Additional Attorney General MK Rahman and Deputy Attorney General Mostafa Zaman Islam said this while placing arguments during the hearing of a writ petition.

The writ has been filed seeking directions from the HC upon the government to take steps for protecting and maintaining the historic places at Suhrawardy Udyan where Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered his historic speech on March 7, 1971 and Pakistani army surrendered before the Joint Command Forces of the Mukti Bahini (freedom fighters) on December 16,1971.

Freedom fighters Maj Gen (retd) KM Safiullah Bir Uttam, and Prof Muntasir Mamun have jointly filed the petition as public interest litigation (PIL).

The HC bench of Justice ABM Khairul Haque and Justice M Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed held the hearing on the petition.

MK Rahman told the bench that the government has extended its support to the petition since the state is constitutionally bound to protect and maintain historic places related to liberation war of the country.

At a stage of hearing, the

court asked petitioners' counsel Advocate Manzill Murshid why they have come to the court rather than going to the government for protecting the historic places.

Manzill replied that as the state failed to protect and maintain the historic places the court should pass direction to the government in this regard.

Vice Chairman of the Bar Council Abdul Baset Majumder and Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Secretary SM Rezaul Karim, who were present in the court, said the previous Awami League government had taken

steps to maintain the historic places but it could not complete the task due to time constraint:

The HC adjourned the hearing and fixed today fhies-day) for hearing the statements of the petitioners KM Safiullah and Muntasir Mamun.

Upon petition, the HC on June 25 issued a rule upon the government to explain by July 6 (yesterday) why it should not be directed to protect and maintain historic places at Suhrawardy Udyan by removing the structures at the places, if any.