The High Court on Monday adjourned for Tuesday the hearing on a writ petition filed challenging the cancellation of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s candidature in three constituencies to contest the upcoming general election.
The one-member bench of Justice JBM Hassan passed the order following a petition by Khaleda’s counsels seeking time.Barrister Badudozza Badal and Barrister AKM Ehsanur Rahman stood for the BNP chief while deputy attorney general Motahar Hossain Saju represented the state.
Khaleda’s counsels sought time, saying they could not yet prepare the affidavit of the petition filed expressing ‘no-confidence’ in the single-judge bench.As Khaleda’s lawyers filed the ‘no-confidence’ petition to the new bench formed by the Chief Justice, it asked them to submit it in written.
On December 12, Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain formed the one-member bench to hear the petition over BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s candidature in all the three constituencies as the bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir issued a split order on December 11.
Senior Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed stayed the EC’s decision and accepted Khaleda’s appeal while Justice Md Iqbal Kabir upheld the decision.Later, the appeal was sent to the Chief Justice as per rules to form a new bench.Barrister Kaisar Kamal filed the appeal for Feni-1 while Barrister Nowshad Jamir for Bogura-6 and Advocate Masud Ahmed Talukder for Bogura-7.
Khaleda’s nominations for Feni-1, Bogura-6 and 7 constituencies were rejected by returning officers. The Election Commission also upheld the decisions of the returning officers, prompting the former prime minister to move the High Court.
Khaleda was jailed for five years on February 8 last in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. Her jail term was doubled by the High Court on October 30. A day before that, she was sentenced to seven-year imprisonment by a special court in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.
source: UNB
