The High Court today directed the government to declare March 7 as "national historic day" and publish a gazette notification to this effect within a month.

On March 7 1971, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, through his fiery and soulful address at the then Race-Course Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan) made a clarion call to the people to fight against Pakistani forces to achieve the long-cherished independence.

The HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader came up with the order while hearing a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Bashir Ahmed in November 2017 seeking necessary orders.

The HC asked the authorities concerned of the government to establish mural of Bangabandhu in all districts and upazilas across the country during Mujib Borsho and submit a compliance report to this court in a month.

Besides, the court issued a rule asking the government to explain why it should not be directed to include Bangabandhu's historic March 7 speech in textbooks and to establish a liberty tower at the place where Bangabandhu had delivered the March 7 speech, Deputy Attorney General Abdullah-Al-Mahmud Bashar told The Daily Star.

Earlier, following the same petition another HC bench on November 20, 2017 issued a rule asking the government to explain why it should not be directed to declare March 7 as a "national historic day".