Dhaka: The Supreme Court on Sunday extended for two weeks its earlier order that had stayed the High Court order recognising 2,367 members of '71 'guerrilla force' as freedom fighters.

A five-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice SK Sinha, passed the order following a hearing on the petition, reports UNB.

On 9 October last, the Chamber Judge of the Supreme Court stayed a High Court order that recognised 2,367 members of '71 'guerrilla force' as freedom fighters and fixed 30 October for hearing on it at a regular bench of the Appellate Division.

The High Court on 8 September declared illegal the government order that had cancelled the recognition of 2,367 members of '71 'guerrilla force', formed with the leaders and activists of National Awami Party (NAP), Communist Party and Chhatra Union, after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the country's independence on 26 March 1971, as freedom fighters.

The state later filed a petition with the Supreme Court. On 24 July 2013, Liberation War Affairs Ministry published a gazette notification on the list of 2,367 guerrilla fighters, including Comrade Moni Singh and NAP President professor Mozaffar Ahmed, as freedom fighters.

The government on 29 October 2014 cancelled the gazette notification. NAP president Pankaj Bhattacharya filed the writ petition challenging its legality in 2014.

On 19 January 2015, the HC issued a rule asking the government to explain why the cancellation would not be declared illegal and unlawful. The court also stayed the government action that cancelled the recognition of 2,367 members of a guerrilla force as freedom fighters.