Awami determined to defy flag ban

The opposition Awami League is determined to fly the national flag at half-mast today on the death anniversary of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and observe the day as national mourning day.

Today, the national and party flags will be flown at half-mast at the party office, the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and the residence of party chief Sheikh Hasina Wajed in Dhaka.

The opposition party will also hoist black flags everywhere to mark the national mourning day, observed officially during its stay in power from 1996 to 2001.

But after coming to power last October, the coalition government of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia scrapped the day and all its official programmes.

Last week, the government amended rules to ban the flying of the national flag at half-mast on August 15.

The government is unlikely to take legal action against the defiant opposition to avoid fresh political tension, a minister hinted yesterday.

"We would like to ignore the planned opposition action," he said, not wanting to be named. The party is also due to enforce a half-day general strike today to protest against the cancellation of the national mourning day and a public holiday in August.