HC stays law secy's contractual appointment

The High Court on Tuesday stayed for three months the contractual appointment of ASSM Zahirul Haque as secretary to the law ministry.

The bench of justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and justice Md Ataur Rahman Khan passed the order after hearing of a writ petition.

The Supreme Court lawyer Md Ashraf-Uz-Zaman filed the petition challenging the legality of the contractual appointment of judicial officer Zahirul as secretary to law and justice division of law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry without consulting with the apex court.

Lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali stood for petitioner while attorney general Mahbubey Alam stood for the state.

Zahirul Haque, who took charge as the law and justice secretary in February 2015, was scheduled to retire on 7 August.

The government appointed him on 6 August to the same post on a two-year contract.

Zahirul had been serving as the law secretary for the past three years.

He had served for five years as deputy secretary and joint secretary, being additional district judge.