Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Wednesday fixed February 18 for passing order on a writ petition challenging the legality of taking oath by the lawmakers elected in the December 30 general election.
The HC bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil fixed the date after concluding hearing on the petition yesterday.During the hearing, the court said that the President had invited Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to form the government after her party Awami League (AL) its alliances secured landslide victory in the 11th Parliamentary election.
The state cannot run even for a second without the government, the court said, adding that it will run even if the Parliament does not function.
Petitioner’s lawyer Barrister A M Mahbub Uddin Khokan told the court that the tenure of the Parliament expired on January 28, but the persons elected in the 11th parliamentary election took oath on January 3. Therefore, there were two Parliaments at that time which is unconstitutional.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam opposed the writ petition saying that the Parliament members took their responsibility on January 30. Therefore, taking oath was not illegal.
Earlier on January 18, another HC bench rejected the similar writ petition saying it was not moved properly.
Later the petitioner, Advocate Md Taherul Islam Tawhid, filed the writ petition with this HC bench.
