Dhaka: The review hearing on the scrapping of the caretaker government system of the constitution is in today's Cause List of the appellate division of Bangladesh Supreme Court.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the serial for the hearing on the subject is number 13. The appellate division of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Dr. Syed Reefat Ahmed, had fixed December 19 for the review hearing on the scrapping of the caretaker government system.
Senior lawyers, including advocate Joynul Abedin, Sharaif Bhuiyan, and Mohammad Shishier Manir, represented the applicants during the previous session, while Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman represented the state. On October 16, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam filed a review petition against the scrapping of the caretaker government system (13th Amendment) before the appellate division.
Previously, another review petition was submitted to the apex court by the general secretary of Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujon), Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar. Additionally, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Prof. Miah Golam Parwar also filed a petition concerning the same issue. The court decided to hear all the petitions analogously.
The 13th Amendment of the constitution, which incorporated the caretaker government system, was adopted by the parliament in 1996. Three lawyers led by M. Salim Ullah filed a writ with the High Court challenging the legality of the amendment. The appellate division on May 10, 2011, issued a judgment scrapping the 13th amendment of the constitution.
Following the judgment, the Jatiya Sangsad on June 30, 2011, passed the 15th amendment, maintaining the scrapping of the caretaker system with some ratifications. A gazette notification was also published on July 3 of that year. Additionally, a high court division bench comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Ray Chowdhury on December 17 gave a judgment scrapping the 15th amendment, stating that Sections 20 and 21 of the amendment are contrary to the constitution.