HC declines to declare English as 2nd official language

A public interest litigation writ petition seeking a directive to the government to declare English as the 2nd official language of the country was on Sunday dropped from the day’s cause list by the High Court Division.
A bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order after briefly hearing of the writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer M Moksadul Islam. The court passed the order saying that the writ petition was contrary to the Bangla Language Introduction Act 1987.
‘We can’t force anyone to speak in the English language as the law calls for using Bangla in all spheres of life,’ said the court.
It said that one could do nothing if a respondent refuses to reply to a legal notice written in English.
The court said that the use of any language other than Bangla at offices and courts would tantamount to misconduct according to the Bangla Language Introduction Act. 
Petitioner Moksad prayed to recognize English language as 2nd official language since it was used in all spheres of life besides Bangla.
Moksad said that he would move his writ petition in another bench. 
Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif said during the hearing that he requested his children who took their education abroad not to speak in any language other than Bangla at home.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net