Dhaka: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed for eight weeks a High Court order that had declared illegal the increasing of retirement age of freedom fighters in government jobs to 60.

Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the state.

With the SC order, the retirement age of freedom fighters remains 60 in public service, said Additional Attorney General Murad Reza.

Earlier on April 11, declaring the decision increasing the retirement age of freedom fighters in government jobs to 60 illegal, the High Court suggested that the age limit should be 61.

In its observation, the court had said when the retirement age of all public servants was 57, the freedom fighters were honoured by increasing the age limit to 59.

However, when the retirement age limit of all employees was increased to 59, that of freedom fighters was increased by only one year which actually defamed them.

In 2009, the government amended the Public Servants (Retirement) Act raising the retirement age limit of the freedom fighters in government jobs from 57 to 59 years.

In 2012, another amendment was brought to the law increasing the retirement age limit of all public servants from 57 to 59 years and later, the freedom fighters’ retirement age was increased to 60 years from 59.