HC approves EC's re-demarcation
Monday, 3 November 2008
The Supreme Court (SC) was petitioned Sunday to overturn the High Court orders passed hours earlier dismissing three writ petitions that challenged the Election Commission's gazette notification on re-demarcation of parliamentary constituencies, reports bdnews24.com
The hearing will be held Monday, a lawyer for the petitioners said.
The High Court dismissed three separate writ petitions challenging the gazette notification on re-demarcation of parliamentary constituencies, which lawyers said cleared the way for announcement of the election schedule.
But Barrister Nasiruddin Ashim, after filing the appeal with SC, told the news agency that they had sent a fax to the EC informing it of the appeal.
Earlier Shahdin Malik, lawyer for the EC, told the news agency after the HC verdict that the court had ruled the commission's gazette notification legal.
On voters listed before redrawing of 133 out of 300 constituencies-one of the main objections of the petitioners-the court said one had no relation to the other.
The ruling meant that the EC had no impediment to declaring the election schedule, Malik said, adding that the commission could announce the schedule any time it wished.
Barrister ABM Nurul Islam, lawyer for the petitioners, also told the news agency that the HC ruling meant the commission could declare the election schedule.
"But the decision whether we (the petitioners) will appeal against the verdict will be taken after discussions on the matter," he added.
The commission was originally set to declare the schedule on Nov 2 (Sunday), but was awaiting the High Court verdict.
The High Court stayed the effectiveness of the gazette on re-demarcation of 300 parliamentary constituencies-which redrew boundaries of 133 seats-for three months, on Aug 7.
The stay order came on a petition, filed by former BNP lawmaker Abdul Mannan, one of three filed on Aug 6 challenging the EC's gazette. All three petitions were heard by the High Court simultaneously.
The Election Commission primarily redrew the boundaries of 133 parliamentary constituencies on April 29. The gazette demarcating the boundaries of all 300 parliamentary constituencies was published on July 10.
The hearing will be held Monday, a lawyer for the petitioners said.
The High Court dismissed three separate writ petitions challenging the gazette notification on re-demarcation of parliamentary constituencies, which lawyers said cleared the way for announcement of the election schedule.
But Barrister Nasiruddin Ashim, after filing the appeal with SC, told the news agency that they had sent a fax to the EC informing it of the appeal.
Earlier Shahdin Malik, lawyer for the EC, told the news agency after the HC verdict that the court had ruled the commission's gazette notification legal.
On voters listed before redrawing of 133 out of 300 constituencies-one of the main objections of the petitioners-the court said one had no relation to the other.
The ruling meant that the EC had no impediment to declaring the election schedule, Malik said, adding that the commission could announce the schedule any time it wished.
Barrister ABM Nurul Islam, lawyer for the petitioners, also told the news agency that the HC ruling meant the commission could declare the election schedule.
"But the decision whether we (the petitioners) will appeal against the verdict will be taken after discussions on the matter," he added.
The commission was originally set to declare the schedule on Nov 2 (Sunday), but was awaiting the High Court verdict.
The High Court stayed the effectiveness of the gazette on re-demarcation of 300 parliamentary constituencies-which redrew boundaries of 133 seats-for three months, on Aug 7.
The stay order came on a petition, filed by former BNP lawmaker Abdul Mannan, one of three filed on Aug 6 challenging the EC's gazette. All three petitions were heard by the High Court simultaneously.
The Election Commission primarily redrew the boundaries of 133 parliamentary constituencies on April 29. The gazette demarcating the boundaries of all 300 parliamentary constituencies was published on July 10.