Bangladesh News

The High Court (HC) delivers its judgment today on the BNP chairperson’s writ petition challenging the legality of inviting Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed as BNP representative for the Election Commission (EC) dialogue on electoral reforms.

On March 24, an HC division bench comprising Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Mamnoon Rahman fixed the day for pronouncing its verdict after hearing both sides.

Earlier on November 18 last year, the HC stayed operation of the EC letter that had invited BNP acting Secretary General Hafiz, who is loyal to the party’s reformist faction, to its electoral reform talks as the BNP representative.

Later, the EC cancelled the letter it had issued on October 5.

Lawyer Nasiruddin Asim had filed the petition on November 12 on behalf of detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Besides staying the operation of EC letter, the HC on March 18 issued a rule asking the EC, BNP acting secretary general and six members of the party’s standing committee, and the chief adviser to the caretaker government to explain why the EC invitation letter would not be declared illegal.

Lawyers for the petitioner had argued that according to the BNP constitution only the chairperson can convene a meeting of the standing committee, but that was not the case on October 29 when the BNP standing committee declared M Saifur Rahman and Maj (retd) Hafiz as acting chairperson and acting secretary general of the party.

They also pointed out that while the standing committee meeting needs a quorum of eight members only six were present at that meeting.

Khaleda had already appointed Khandaker Delwar Hossain the secretary general of the party after expelling Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, exercising the power bestowed on her by the BNP constitution.

The petitioner’s counsels argued that there is no scope for appointing an acting secretary general when a secretary general is already there.

The court issued the rule on Hafiz, ordering the defence to make him a party in the petition.

Meanwhile, BNP acting Office Secretary Rizvi Ahmed said they have received justice.

“We have stepped onto the first stage of victory through the High Court decision and we are confident we will also be victorious in releasing our leader Khaleda Zia,” he told The Daily Star last night.

Standing committee member and pro-reforms leader Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, however, said they are ready for the dialogue and hope the EC will be able to sustain its decision through legal measures.

“We still represent the mainstream BNP and there is nothing to be upset,” he told The Daily Star.