The High Court has ordered that a person's mother or official guardian's name can be added to any government official documents, if that individual does not have a father or wish not to add their name from now on.
The High Court bench comprising Justice Naima Haider and Justice Md Khairul Alam announced the rule on Tuesday.
Lawyers say because of this historic verdict, two additional options will be available instead of just "Father's Name" in official documents from now.
By doing this, one can enter the name of the mother or legal guardian in all kinds of government documents including passports and forms to get education certificates.
The verdict came following a 2007 incident where the Rajshahi Board of Education refused to give the admit card to a Thakurgaon SSC candidate, as she could not fill in the father's name as required in the student information form.
Several news outlets covered the story because the girl was living with her mother only, as her father was not in the picture.
Later, based on probe reports, and demanding the recognition of the mother as the guardian of the child, on August 2, 2009, three human rights organizations - Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, and Naripokkho jointly filed a writ in the public interest.
On the first hearing of the writ on August 3, 2009, the then High Court bench comprising of Justice Syed Refat Ahmed and Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury issued a rule asking why the existing provision should not be declared an obstacle to human rights, and equality.
