The High Court yesterday directed the authorities concerned of the government to immediately take necessary steps to ensure protection of all monuments and murals of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman across the country.

It also ordered the government to establish Bangabandhu's murals on the office premises of all deputy commissioners and upazila nirbahi officers and to submit a report before the court on the progress of setting up the murals in a month.

The HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice Shahed Nuruddin came up with the order while hearing a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Bashir Ahmed in November 2017 seeking necessary directives on this issue.

Earlier in the day, the cabinet secretary submitted a compliance report to the bench through Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar, saying that the government has established Bangabandhu's murals on the office premises of Muktijoddha Council in 380 upazilas of 63 districts.

During yesterday's hearing, petitioner Bashir prayed to the HC bench to pass necessary directives on the authorities concerned to ensure proper security of Bangabandhu's monuments and murals, considering the incident of damaging his under-construction sculpture in Kushtia.

DAG Abdullah and petitioner Bashir told The Daily Star yesterday that the government has already declared March 7 as "National Historic Day" in line with the HC's earlier order and also submitted a compliance report before the HC to this effect.

During the hearing of the same petition, the HC on February 25 this year directed the government to declare March 7 as "National Historic Day" since Bangabandhu delivered his historic speech on March 7, 1971, inspiring the nation to go for the Liberation War.

In the speech at the then Race-course Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan), Bangabandhu called on the freedom-loving Bengalis to wage a decisive struggle against the Pakistani rulers.

The HC also asked the authorities concerned to set up Bangabandhu's murals in all upazilas and districts across the country during the Mujib Borsho and to submit a compliance report in a month.

Besides, the court issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why it should not be directed to include Bangabandhu's historic March 7 Speech in textbooks for all students so that they can learn about the significance of the speech.