DHAKA, Aug 19, 2019 (BSS) – The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court
(SC) will pass its order tomorrow on state plea against High Court order that
imposed status quo on publishing gazette notification for implementing the
recommendations of ninth wage board for journalists and employees of
newspapers and news agencies.
“Order tomorrow,” said a four-member apex court bench headed by Chief
Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain.
Today Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Deputy Attorney General Amit
Talukder moved the state plea to stay the August 6 High Court order. Advocate
AF Hasan Arif stood for daily Prothom Alo editor, publisher and president of
Newspapers Owners Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) Matiur Rahman.
Earlier on August 14, Justice Md Nuruzzaman of Appellate Division Chamber
Court sent the state petition, which pleaded to stay the High Court order, to
apex court regular bench for hearing on today.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Deputy Attorney General Amit Talukdar
appeared for the state, while Advocate Hasan Ariff appeared for the NOAB
president and daily Prothom Alo editor and publisher Matiur Rahman.
Terming the initial writ against publishing gazette notification for
implementing the recommendations of ninth wage board, pre-matured, Attorney
General Mahbubey Alam said the petitioner filed the writ as he does not want
to pay the salary to journalists properly.
“The government is like an umpire here. It would consider interests of
both journalists and newspaper owners,” he said.
“Without journalists, the owners of newspapers do not have any
existence,” the court observed at the time.