The High Court has questioned the practice of displaying the national flag behind chairs or sofas of officers and employees in government offices and autonomous organisations. The court has directed those concerned to refrain from such unauthorised use of the national flag.
Following the primary hearing of a writ petition, a High Court bench comprising Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice SM Iftekhar Uddin Mahmud issued a rule and this directive on Tuesday. Advocate HM Shanjid Siddique represented the petitioner, Advocate Muhammad Sharif Sarker, during the hearing.
In the rule, the court sought an explanation as to why displaying the national flag behind the chairs or sofas of government officials, and sitting or standing in front of it, should not be declared unlawful.
At the same time, the court directed that officials and employees of government offices and autonomous organisations must refrain from displaying the national flag unlawfully beside or behind their chairs or sofas.
Following the hearing, Advocate Shanjid said a trend of displaying the national flag behind tables or chairs of officials has recently been observed in various government departments, with officials often sitting in front of the flag and keeping it behind them.
He explained that under the National Flag Rules only 15 specific categories of individuals are permitted to use the national flag at their offices, residences, and vehicles in a prescribed manner.
However, there is no legal provision allowing officials of various government departments, corporations, and authorities to permanently display the flag behind their chairs or tables.
He added that the rules stipulate that when the national flag is displayed on any building, it must be hoisted from sunrise to sunset and must fly freely. Despite this, in many offices, the flag is kept bent or fixed statically as a decoration behind chairs.
The High Court has also directed the formation of a three-member committee to review actual situation and verify whether the rules governing use of the national flag are being adhered to. The cabinet secretary has been instructed to constitute this committee.
The committee will consist of a judicial officer, a representative from the Cabinet Division, and a teacher from a public university.
It has been ordered to submit its report within 60 days. The report will review and assess whether the current use of the national flag in government offices is consistent with the statutory rules and regulations.
