State exclusively owns photos of Bangabandhu, Liberation War: HC

None but the state can claim the copyright to photographs of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Liberation War, said the High Court (HC).

"If anyone wants to use the historical pictures of Bangabandhu or the Liberation War in any publication, he or she will have to acknowledge gratitude, quoting sources," the HC bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman said Tuesday, in settling a writ.  

Lawyer Anik R Haque stood for writ petitioner Barrister Sayedul Haque Sumon, while lawyer Shah Manjurul Haque argued for journalist Nazmul Hossain charged with plagiarism in his two books on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Sayedul Haque Sumon filed the writ petition with the HC last year alleging that the two books on Bangabandhu violated copyright and intellectual property rights. He attached several media reports in this regard with the petition.

Later, the HC issued a rule ordering an inquiry, which found the copyright allegations to be true and justified.

The court said there had been no clear rules or law about the copyright to pictures widely used in numerous books. But from now on, the photo copyrights will belong to the state while the content of the publication will remain the author's, the defendant's lawyer Shah Manjurul Haque told reporters.  

According to the case documents, the purchasing process of eight books for "Bangabandhu Corner" at government primary schools has been completed. Of the books, Nazmul has three of his books charged with plagiarism.   

Barrister Sayedul Haque Sumon said, "Surprisingly, the corruption has been done with the books on Bangabandhu. The book was sold to the Directorate of Primary Education, while the liberation war ministry approved the purchase."