National
SC Dismisses Writ Challenging President Shahabuddin’s Election, Imposes Tk 1 Lakh Fine!
Appellate Division of Supreme Court slams “illogical” writ petition, fines petitioner Tk 1 Lakh.
In a groundbreaking verdict, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court rejected a writ petition challenging the legality of Md Shahabuddin’s election as the country’s president. Led by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, the eight-member bench passed the order, delivering a resounding blow to the petitioner Advocate MA Aziz. Citing the frivolous nature of the writ petition, the court imposed a hefty fine of Tk 1 lakh, emphasizing that the petitioner had wasted the court’s valuable time.
The esteemed bench consisted of Justice Md. Nuruzzaman, Justice Obaidul Hassan, Justice Borhanuddin, Justice M. Enayetur Rahim, Justice Md. Ashfaqul Islam, Justice Md. Abu Zafor Siddique, and Justice Jahangir Hossain. During the proceedings, Advocate MA Aziz Khan represented the petitioner, while Attorney General MA Amin Uddin defended the state’s interests.
The saga began on March 7 when a writ petition was filed challenging the legality of the election process and the publication of the gazette notification by the Election Commission regarding Shahabuddin’s presidency. Seeking a stay order on the operation of the gazette notification, the petitioner aimed to challenge the legitimacy of the entire electoral process.
However, on March 15, the High Court rejected the writ petition, prompting an appeal to be filed against the HC’s decision on March 21. Now, with the Appellate Division’s resolute stance, the writ petition has been definitively dismissed, leaving Shahabuddin’s election untouched.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal emphasized his strong commitment to conducting a transparent and impartial national election scheduled for January 7 next year.
“We are determined to ensure a fair and credible election to safeguard the country’s economy and future,” he stated.
Addressing the first phase of a daylong training for divisional officials at the Election Commission (EC), the CEC mentioned that the EC is actively working to prevent the influence of muscle power, black money, and irregularities.
In reference to the training program, Awal underscored the importance of providing intensive training on electoral rules and regulations to enable members of the electoral investigative committee to perform their duties accurately.
While acknowledging the collaborative effort required, the CEC expressed that it would be impossible for the EC alone to organize a genuinely fair election without government support and the sincerity, bravery, and integrity of officials assisting in the process.
“We must ensure that voters can participate in hassle-free voting, and allegations from candidates will only be considered if polling agents are present at the polling centers,” he added.
The CEC emphasized the EC’s pursuit of an uncontroversial election result, stating, “For the sake of the country’s democracy and economy, we have no alternative but to conduct a free and fair election.”
The ruling Awami League has selected former Bangladesh cricket captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza as its candidate for the upcoming 12th national parliamentary election from the Narail-2 constituency. This decision was announced by Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader during a press briefing on Sunday.
Despite competition from 23 other leaders vying for the Awami League’s nomination in the Narail-2 constituency, the party opted to retain the incumbent MP, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, for the upcoming election.
The Awami League has selected cricketer Shakib Al Hasan as their candidate for the Magura-1 constituency in the upcoming 12th parliamentary election. This marks Shakib’s debut in parliamentary elections, and he is renowned as the world’s best all-rounder in ODIs.
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader unveiled the party’s 300 parliamentary seat nominees at the central office on Bangabandhu Avenue. Shakib Al Hasan had previously obtained three nomination forms to contest in the 12th parliamentary election, covering Magura-1, Magura-2, and Dhaka-10, with his relatives collecting the forms from the AL central office.
