Hearing on writ petition on legitimacy of 290 MPs postponed till Sunday

The Supreme Court has postponed the hearing of a leave-to-appeal petition filed against the High Court's rejection of a writ challenging the legitimacy of 290 lawmakers taking the oath of office after the 11th parliamentary election.

The case was adjourned till Sunday, July 30, by a seven-member appellate court headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique after an hour-long hearing.

On August 20, 2019, BNP leader Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon had filed the appeal with Supreme Court. 

Sheikh Muhammad Morshed, an additional attorney general, spoke on behalf of the state at the court.

The 290 members of parliament took their oaths on January 3, 2019, after the 11th national election was held on December 30, 2018.

On January 5, 2014, the tenth parliamentary election took place. The first sitting of the parliament was held on January 29 after the swearing in of the elected officials on January 9.

The term of parliament shall be five years from the date of the first meeting of parliament, as provided for in Article 72(3) of the Constitution.

In light of this, Lawyer Taherul Islam Towhid filed a writ with the High Court on January 14, 2019, asserting that the 11th Parliament's oath-taking occurred before the end of the previous parliament's term.

The High Court dismissed the writ petition on February 18, 2019. On September 20, 2019, the writ petitioner then submitted a leave-to-appeal petition challenging the High Court's order.

/MHK/