SC upholds HC ruling

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Declaring void the appeal filed by Abu Safa, the Supreme Court (SC) upheld Tuesday the High Court (HC) ruling that made mandatory for candidates of Jatiya Sangsad (JS) elections to make personal information public.
A full hierarchy of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice M Ruhul Amin delivered the judgement, reports UNB.
The High Court on May 24 in 2005, upon a public interest litigation (PIL) writ petition filed by three lawyers, made mandatory for a candidate of parliamentary elections to make public eight personal information in filing nomination papers to the Election Commission.
The information sought includes candidate's academic qualification, sources of income, profession, assets and liabilities, bank balances and criminal records, if any.
The ruling was strictly abided by the Election Commission in the subsequent parliamentary polls, by-elections and election to the 50 seats reserved for women.
The PIL petitioners had filed the writ to help the voters in choosing their representatives properly. But after 19 months of the execution of the HC directives, Abu Safa, a little-known person in politics, secured a stay against the ruling from a vacation chamber judge of the Supreme Court, a day before the last date of filing nomination for the stalled January 22 general elections.
Later, Abu Safa also got a leave-to-appeal against the High Court ruling.
Eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain appeared for the PIL petitioners, while Barrister Omar Sa'dat stood for appellant Abu Safa.