The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today entered its eighth consecutive day of hearing on an appeal challenging its 2011 judgment that had annulled the non-party caretaker government system for conducting national elections.
A full bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, heard the case on Wednesday.
Senior advocate Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal presented arguments on behalf of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), one of the petitioners seeking reinstatement of the caretaker system. Additional Attorney General Barrister Aneek R Haque appeared for the state, while Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman was also present during the proceedings.
Earlier, Senior Advocates Zainul Abedin and Ruhul Quddus Kazal had participated in hearings held on November 4, while Abedin began his submissions on October 29. Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir argued on behalf of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on October 28, and Advocate Sharif Bhuiyan opened the arguments on October 21, representing five eminent citizens. Barrister Ehsan Abdullah Siddiq later joined as an intervener on October 23.
On August 27 this year, the Appellate Division allowed several parties to appeal against its 2011 judgment that declared the 13th Amendment — which had introduced the caretaker government system — unconstitutional.
The court is currently hearing four review petitions filed separately by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, five citizens including SUJAN Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, and an individual petitioner.
Earlier, on December 17, 2024, the High Court ruled that the abolition of the caretaker system was unconstitutional — a decision the Attorney General said effectively reinstated the caretaker provision within the Constitution.
-20251022062240.jpg)
-20251104030924.jpg)
