DHAKA, June 21 A Bangladesh court ruled on Sunday that the father of the country's current premier Sheikh Hasina and not the late husband of her arch-rival Khaleda Zia proclaimed independence in 1971.

In a bid to end a decades-old dispute over the honour, the High Court found that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed independence on the night of March 25, 1971, and not army major Ziaur Rahman, attorney Enayetur Rahim told AFP.

“It's landmark ruling. It buries all the disputes and debates about who proclaimed the country's independence from Pakistan,” said Rahim, the second highest-ranked government lawyer.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the father of Hasina, Bangladesh's current prime minister and leader of the Awami League, and an arch rival of Rahman's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), now headed by Khaleda Zia.

Rahman took over power in a military coup months after Sheikh Mujib was assassinated by some army officers in August 1975. Rahman was killed in another failed coup in 1981.

BNP supporters have long insisted that Rahman made the first call of independence through a radio speech from Chittagong on March 27 — a version of events bitterly disputed by the Awami League.

Bangladesh's official historical record has changed as each party held power — and the latest High Court ruling describes the BNP's version of events as a “lie” that should not be taught in schools.

Sheikh Hasina became the country's prime minister early this year after leading her party to a landslide victory over Ms Zia's BNP.—AFP