DHAKA: The High Court on Monday (Feb 18) rejected a writ petition filed challenging the legality of the oath of 11th parliament members.

The HC bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order after hearing arguments of both sides.

Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Barrister Sakib Mahbub mobed for the petition while deputy attorney general Mukhlesur Rahman stood for the state.

Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon said they will move to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the HC decision. 

Earlier on Jan 17, the HC rejected the writ petition that challenged the legality of the oath of 11th parliament members citing the petition had not been placed before it properly.

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: 1744 HRS, FEB 18, 2019
RS/SMS