DHAKA TRIBUNE

Juris

Thursday, December 12, 2013

7
juris Quote

Fly the national flag judiciously

The Peoples Republic of Bangladesh Flag Rules 1972 tell us how to use the national flag

law cartoon

Rajib Dhar

Mohammad Mozadded Hassan Adnan n

ecember 16 is our Victory Day and the whole nation is looking forward to observing this years Victory Day amidst all these blockade and violence. The national flag is an indispensable part of the celebration of our national days. We have also seen many people cheering in cricket and other sports with our national flag held in their hands, sometimes draped around their heads. Many people also fly the national flag in their houses and vehicles. Are all these uses of our national flag lawful? Many of us may be surprised to know that we have a law regarding the use of our national flag. Its called The Peoples Republic of Bangladesh Flag Rules, 1972. The law provides detail guidelines relating to the size and color of the national flag, occasions when one can fly the national flag and use of flag in buildings, residences and vehicles, etc.

Our national flag

The national flag of Bangladesh consists of a red disc on a green field offset slightly towards the hoist so that it appears centered when the flag is flying. The red disc represents the sun rising over Bangladesh, and also the blood of those who sacrificed their lives for independence of Bangladesh. The green field stands for the lushness of the lands of Bangladesh.

Occasion on which the national flag is to be flown

On the following days and occasions national flag shall be flown on public and private buildings throughout Bangladesh and the office premises of Bangladesh diplomatic missions and consular posts: a) Birthday of the Holy Prophet (Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi) b) Independence Day on the March 26. c) Victory Day on the December 16. d) Any other day as may be notified by the government.

Size and colour

According to the Flag Rules, the national flag will be bottle green and rectangular in size, in the proportion of length to width 10:6 bearing a red circle on the body of the green. The red circle will have a radius of one-fifth of the length of the flag. Its centre will be placed on the intersecting point of the perpendicular drawn from the nine-twentieth part of the length of the flag and the horizontal line drawn through the middle of its width.

The flag shall be flown half-mast

a) Shaheed Day on February 21 and b) All other days as may be notified by the government

Use of the national flag on government buildings, official residence, motor cars, etc
The national flag shall be flown on all working days on important government buildings and offices, eg the President House, legislative assembly buildings, all ministries and the secretariat buildings of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh, offices of the High Court, courts of district and session judges, offices of the commissioners of divisions, deputy commissioner/collectors, chairman, Upazila Parishad, central and district jails, Police Stations, Custom Posts, primary, secondary and higher secondary level educational institutions and such other buildings as may be notified by the government from time to time.

The following persons shall be entitled to fly the national flag on motor vehicles and vessels:
a) The Speaker of Parliament b) The Chief Justice of Bangladesh c) Cabinet Ministers d) Chief Whip e) Deputy Speaker of Parliament f ) The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament g) Persons accorded status of a Cabinet Minister h) Heads of Diplomatic/Consular Missions of Bangladesh in foreign countries (The national flag shall be flown only when the dignitary concerned is in the car or vessels) We got our national flag at the cost of the blood of the greatest sons of our soil. So, we should abid by the law when it comes to the use of our national flag. Beside the legal issues it is our sacred duty to respect our national flag. We should follow the rules regarding time, place, and manner of flying our national flag. l Mohammad Mozadded Hassan Adnan has an LLM from Faculty of Law, University of Dhaka. He can be reached at adnaninfinity@ yahoo.com.

cartoon by rio shuvo

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Send us queries for

Colour of the flag

a) The green base of the flag will be of Procion Brilliant Green H-2RS 50 parts per 1,000. b) The red circular part will be of Procion Brilliant Orange H-2RS 60 parts per 1,000.

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Size of the flag for building

a) 10ft 6ft b) 5ft 3ft c) 2.5ft 1.5ft (Depending on the size of the building)

3 Size of the flag for cars

a) 15in 9in (For big cars) b) 10in 6in (For small and medium size cars)

Nelson Mandela: Lawyer, leader and legend

Juris Desk n
While the world mourns the passing of Nelson Mandela on December 5, 2013, we look back to trace some significant events of the life of the great leader who was also a lawyer. In early 1940s Nelson Mandela began studying LLB at the University of the Witwatersrand. By his own admission he was a poor student and left the university in 1948 without graduating. He only started studying again through the University of London and also did not complete that degree. In 1989, while in the last months of his imprisonment, he obtained an LLB through the University of South Africa. He graduated in absentia at a ceremony in Cape Town. Nelson Mandela, while increasingly politically involved from 1942, only joined the African National Congress in 1944 when he helped form the ANC Youth League. In 1952 he was chosen at the National Volunteer-in-Chief of the defiance campaign with Maulvi Cachalia as his deputy. This campaign of civil disobedience against six unjust laws was a joint programme between the ANC and the South African Indian Congress. He and 19 others were charged under the Suppression of Communism Act for their part in the campaign and sentenced to nine months imprisonment. A two-year diploma in law on top of his BA allowed Nelson Mandela to practice law and in August 1952 he and Oliver Tambo established South Africas first black law firm, Mandela and Tambo. At the end of 1952 he was banned for the first time. As a restricted person he was only able to secretly watch as the Freedom Charter was adopted at Kliptown on June 26, 1955. Nelson Mandela was arrested in a countrywide police swoop of 156 activists on December 5, 1955, which led to the 1956 Treason Trial. Men and women of all races found themselves in the dock in the marathon trial that only ended when the last 28 accused, including Mr Mandela were acquitted on March 29, 1961. In October 1963 Nelson Mandela joined nine others on trial for sabotage in what became known as the Rivonia Trial. Facing the death penalty his words to the court at the end of his famous Speech from the Dock on April 20, 1964 became immortalised: I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die. On June 11, 1964 Nelson Mandela and seven other were convicted and in the next days were sentenced to life imprisonment. Denis Goldberg was sent to Pretoria Prison because he was white while the others went to Robben Island. Nelson Mandelas mother died in 1968 and his eldest son Thembi in 1969. He was not allowed to attend their funerals. Nelson Mandela immersed himself into official talks to end white minority rule and in 1991 was elected ANC President to replace his ailing friend Oliver Tambo. In 1993 he and President FW de Klerk jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize and on April 27, 1994 he voted for the first time in his life. On May 10, 1994 he was sworn in as South Africas first democratically elected President. True to his promise Nelson Mandela stepped down in 1999 after one term as president. Nelson Mandela never wavered in his devotion to democracy, justice and equality. Despite terrible provocation, he never answered racism with racism. His life has been an inspiration to all who are oppressed and deprived, to all who are opposed to oppression and deprivation. l

A two-year diploma in law on top of his BA allowed Nelson Mandela to practice law and in August 1952 he and Oliver Tambo established South Africas first black law firm, Mandela and Tambo

AP

On March 21, 1960 police killed 69 unarmed people in a protest at Sharpeville against the laws. This led to the countrys first state of emergency on March 31 and the banning of the ANC and the Pan Africanist Congress on April 8. Nelson Mandela and his colleagues in the Treason Trial were among the thousands detained during the state of emergency. As soon as he and his colleagues were acquitted in the Treason Trial Nelson Mandela went underground and began planning a national strike for March 29, 30 and 31. In the face of a massive mobilisation of state security the strike was called off early. In June 1961 he was asked to lead the armed struggle and helped to establish Umkhonto weSizwe (Spear of the Nation).