Writ seeks scrapping of Penal Code’s sedition provision

A writ petition was filed with the High Court on Tuesday, January 20, seeking to scrap Section 124(a) of the Penal Code, the controversial sedition law critics call a relic of colonial repression.

Filed by Supreme Court lawyer Ishrat Hasan, the writ argues that the sedition provision tramples on citizens’ fundamental right to free expression.

“Every citizen has the right to criticise the government,” the petition states, adding that the law was originally designed to crush the independence movement and has no place in a modern democracy.

The petition names key officials as respondents, including the Law and Justice Secretary, the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Secretary, and the Senior Secretary of the Public Security Division under the Home Ministry.

Legal experts say the writ could trigger a landmark debate over whether Bangladesh’s colonial-era sedition laws can survive in the 21st century.

Critics have long argued that Section 124(a) has been used to silence dissent and curb political debate, raising pressing questions about the limits of free speech.