Dhaka: A writ petition was filed seeking an High Court order  for making mandatory the observance of eight National Days, including Independence Day and Martyrs Intellectuals Day, for all political parties and citizens.

In the petition, the HC directives were also sought for cancellation of the registration of political parties who will not observe the National Days.

Two lawyers - M Mozammel Haque and Mohammad Shahidul Islam—who filed the writ on Thursday, also sought the HC directives postponing the next general election until the writ petition is disposed of.

A HC bench of Justice Kazi Reza-ul Haque and Justice Mohammad Ullah heard the writ petition around 1:00pm.

After partial hearing on the writ petition, the court set 8 December for the next hearing.

In the writ petition, M Mozammel Haque said he had sought a High Court directive to make mandatory the observance of eight National Days, including March 26 as Independence Day, December 14 as Martyrs Intellectuals Day, January 10 as Bangabandhu’s Homecoming Day, August 15 as National Mourning Day, November 3 as Jail Killing Day, for all political parties and citizens.

Besides, the court order also sought accepting ‘Joy Bangla’ as a national slogan for all political parties and citizens.

Some 19 political parties, including Awami League, BNP, Jatiya Party and their alliances and six government high-ups, including the cabinet secretary, law secretary and election commission, were made defendants in the writ petition.