Verdict on reinstatement of 85 UZ election officers Feb 25

The appellate division of the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday fixed February 25 for delivering the judgment on the reinstatement of 85 upazila (UZ) election officers, who were sacked from the service during the period of the last caretaker government, reports BSS.

Chief Justice Dr Syed Reefat Ahmed has fixed the date after hearing separate appeals and review petitions filed by the lawyers of the sacked officers.

Senior advocate Salah Uddin Dolon represented the appellants during the hearing. Senior Advocate Prabir Niyogi and Md. Ruhul Quddus presented arguments in support of the review petitions. Additional Attorney General Anik R. Haque appeared on behalf of the state, while Advocate Mohammad Khalequzzaman Bhuiyan represented the Election Commission (EC).

According to the prosecution, the Public Service Commission (PSC) on September 3, 2005, temporarily selected a total of 327 candidates for appointing them as upazila election officers. Among them, 85 persons were sacked from the service during the caretaker government in 2007.

The Administrative Tribunal on March 23 in 2009 dismissed the appeals of the sacked officers. Later, they filed an appeal against the judgment of the tribunal, and the Administrative Appeal Tribunal on April 12 in 2010 granted the appeals and ordered the authorities concerned to reinstate them. But the state prosecution filed four leave to appeals before the appellate division against the judgment of the Administrative Appeal Tribunal.