DHAKA: The High Court  on Thursday (Jan 17) rejected the writ petition that challenged the legality of the oath of 11th parliament members. 

The HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Justice Md. Ashraful Kamal passed the order as the petition had not been placed before it properly.

Barrister M Mahbubuddin Khokon and Sakib Mahbub moved for the petition while attorney general Mahbubey Alam and additional attorney general Murad Reza stood for the state.

On January 8, Barrister M Mahbubuddin Khokon, on behalf of Supreme Court lawyer Taherul Islam Towhid, sent legal notice to the Speaker, Chief Election Commissioner and Cabinet Secretary regarding the matter. 

Getting no response, he filed the writ petition seeking cancellation of the oath taken by the MPs of the 11th parliament as they took oath before the expiry of the previous parliament.

In the writ, the petition stated that the oath taken by the new MPs on January 3 is the violation of section 123(3) of the constitution as they did it before the expiry of the 10th parliament.

They should wait for the expiry of the five-year tenure of the 10th parliament, scheduled to end on January 28, it added.

BDST: 1400 HRS, JAN 17, 2019
RS/SMS