The High Court has issued a rule asking why the July National Charter and Referendum Ordinance should not be declared illegal. The concerned parties have been directed to respond within four weeks.
The High Court bench of Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Md Anowarul Islam passed the order on Tuesday.
Additional Attorney General Mohammad Arshadur Rauf and Additional Attorney General Anik R Haque appeared for the state while senior lawyers Ahsanul Karim and Syed Mamun Mahbub, Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, and Gazi Kamrul Islam represented for the writ petitioners.
Lawyer Mohammad Hossain appeared on behalf of the National Citizen Party (NCP), while lawyer Mohammad Shishir Monir represented Jamaat-e-Islami.
On 23 February, Supreme Court lawyer Chowdhury Md Redwan-e-Khuda filed a writ petition challenging the validity of the July National Charter (Constitution Reform) Implementation Order and Section 3 and the schedule of the Referendum Ordinance.
In the petition, Redwan argued that these provisions conflict with the Constitution and sought a rule asking why they should not be declared unconstitutional.
He also requested an interim order to suspend the operation of Section 3 and the schedule of the Referendum Ordinance until the rule is resolved.
Last week, Supreme Court lawyer Gazi Md Mahbub Alam filed a separate writ petition challenging the validity of the July charter and the 16 February letter issued under it, which called for the swearing-in of members of the Constitution Reform Council.
