The High Court on Wednesday issued a rule asking why the cancellation of National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Monira Sharmin’s candidacy for a reserved women’s seat in the 13th National Parliament should not be declared illegal.
The High Court bench of Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury issued the rule on Wednesday.
Advocate Mustafizur Rahman Khan represented the writ petitioner in court, assisted by Mujahidul Islam Shahin, while Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kajal appeared for the state. The hearing on the writ petition was held on Tuesday.
Earlier, when the writ was presented for hearing on 4 May, a High Court bench comprising Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anwar removed the petition from the cause list.
It was learned that the court declined to hear the matter as one of the judges and Monira Sharmin are from the same locality. The petition was later taken off the list and subsequently placed before the High Court bench led by Justice Razik-Al-Jalil for hearing.
Monira Sharmin filed the writ petition with the relevant branch of the High Court on 30 April, challenging the legality of the Election Commission’s decision to cancel her candidacy for the reserved women’s seat in parliament.
On 23 April, the returning officer cancelled the NCP leader’s nomination paper.
The reason cited was that, under the Representation of the People Order, 1972, she was not eligible to contest the election as three years had not passed since her resignation from government service.
Monira Sharmin appealed to the Election Commission against the decision on 26 April, but the commission rejected the appeal after a hearing. She later filed the writ petition.
