The High Court is scheduled to deliver its order on Wednesday regarding a writ petition challenging the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to disqualify Monira Sharmin, Joint Convener of the NCP, from the reserved women’s seats in the 13th National Parliament.
A High Court bench comprising Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury concluded the hearing on the matter on Tuesday.
Advocate Mustafizur Rahman Khan, supported by Mohammad Mujahidul Islam Shahin, appeared on behalf of the petitioner, while Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal represented the state.
The legal challenge follows the cancellation of the NCP leader’s nomination paper by the Returning Officer on 23 April. The disqualification was based on the Representation of the People Order (RPO), 1972, which stipulates that a person is ineligible to contest elections until three years have passed since their resignation from government service.
Monira Sharmin filed an appeal against this decision with the Election Commission on April 26; however, the commission subsequently rejected her application. Following the EC’s rejection, she filed the writ petition with the relevant branch of the High Court on 30 April.
Earlier, on 4 May, the petition was presented to another High Court bench consisting of Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anwar.
That bench removed the application from its cause list, as one of the presiding judges expressed inability to hear the case because he shares the same home district as the petitioner. The matter was then moved to the current bench for hearing.
