DHAKA: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Tuesday (January 16) granted three separate leave to appeal petitions filed by the government challenging the High Court verdict over the mobile court.

The five-member bench of the apex court headed by Acting Chief Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah passed the order, fixing February 13 for hearing the three appeals.

The Appellate Division bench asked the government to submit the summary of the appeals in next three weeks. The SC also asked the writ petitioners to submit their summary in a week after the government submits its statements.

The three leave to appeal petitions were filed by the law ministry and the home ministry.

Attorney general Mahbube Alam, deputy attorney general Motahar Hossain Saju, senior lawyers Barrister Amir-ul Islam and Abdul Matin Khasru moved in the court on behalf of the state, while Barrister Hassan MH Azim moved for the writ petitioners.

The executive magistrates can conduct mobile court until the SC disposes of the three leave to appeal petitions.

On May 11 in 2017, the High Court in its verdict declared illegal the operations of mobile court by executive magistrate. The HC had said that the mobile court operation is unconstitutional. The HC had delivered the verdict following three separate writ petitions.

Later, the government filed the appeals, challenging the judgment.

BDST: 1740 HRS, JAN 16, 2018
EHJ