HC calls status of 290 11th JS MPs legal

The High Court on Monday cleared the way 290 members of parliament of 11th Jatiya Sangsad (national assembly) held their posts taking oath despite functioning of yet another parliament, the 10th one.

The MPs of 11th JS, elected through the controversial 30 December general elections, took oath on 3 January whereas the 10th parliament, which was not dissolved before polls, was set to expire on 28 January.

A High Court bench of justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and justice Razik-Al-Jalil on Monday set aside a writ petition challenging the legality of the status of the new MPs.

"It's now been proved after the High Court's ruling that the elected MPs oath taking and holding of office are legal and constitutional," deputy attorney general Mukhlesur Rahman told Prothom Alo.

He argued that the MPs took oath for performing future responsibility and that the MPs joined the first session of the new parliament on 30 January after expiry of the old one.

"Thus," he claimed, "there has been no deviation from the law. And the court has taken this into cognizance before rejecting the petition," the law officer of the state said.

Supreme Court lawyer Taherul Islam filed the writ petition on 20 January.

One of the lawyers of the petitioner Sakib Mahbub said they would go to the Appellate Divisin of the Supreme Court to challenge the HC's ruling.

Also, attorney general Mahbubey Alam represented the state and Mahbub Uddin Khokon moved for the petitioner.