FE REPORT
The High Court (HC) has admitted an application filed by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to become an intervener party in a writ petition, seeking repeal of the 15th amendment to the Constitution.
The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury passed the order on Tuesday.
On October 28, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir filed the application to become an intervener in the case, seeking repeal of the 15th amendment.
Lawyer Zainul Abedin, who moved the petition, said now the party would have the scope to present its statements during the case hearing.
Meanwhile, a HC bench fixed Oct 30 for holding hearing on the rule, questioning the legality of the 15th amendment - issued following a separate writ petition.
On August 19, the HC questioned legality of the amendment that scrapped the caretaker system from the Constitution. It issued a rule, asking the government bodies concerned to explain as to why the 15th amendment should not be declared 'ultra vires'.
The HC also wanted to know as to why the previous actions and deeds done or taken in any manner in pursuance of the amendment should not be condoned as transactions past and closed.
The law secretary and the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) secretary were asked to comply with the rule.
The HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Sashanka Shekhar Sarkar passed the order after hearing a writ petition.
Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, Dr Tofail Ahmed, M Hafizuddin Khan, Md Jobirul Hoque Bhuiyan and Zahrah Rahman filed it, challenging the legality of the 15th amendment.
The JS passed the amendment on June 30, 2011, and the President approved the bill on July 3, 2011.
The then Awami League government scrapped the caretaker government system through the amendment and also gave constitutional recognition to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the Father of the Nation.
The amendment also increased the number of reserved seats for women in the JS from 45 to 50. It restored secularism and freedom of religion as well as incorporated nationalism, socialism, democracy and secularism as the fundamental principles of the state policy.
[email protected]
