Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain has formed a new bench to hear BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s petitions challenging the EC’s decision to scrap her nominations after an High Court bench issued a split verdict on the matter.
The chief justice has fixed a single bench of Justice JBM Hassan on Wednesday (Dec 12).
Earlier in the day, the top judge sent the case back for clarification as the views of the two judges were not laid down clearly in the case file.
On Tuesday (Dec 11), the HC bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir heard all three of Khaleda’s writs challenging the EC’s decision to scrap her nominations for three parliamentary races.
The bench issued a divided order with Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed issuing a rule directing the EC to accept Khaleda’s nomination.
On the other hand, Justice Iqbal Kabir upheld the EC’s decision blocking Khaleda from contesting the polls slated for Dec 30.
The matter was then passed over to the chief justice for final decision.
On Dec 2, the returning officers scrapped all three of the former prime minister’s nomination in the Feni-1, Bogra-6 and 7 constituencies on grounds of her jail term.
Khaleda later appealed the decision with the Election Commission on Dec 8, but her petition was rejected after which she moved the HC on Dec 9.
A three-time prime minister, the BNP chief is currently serving a 10-year term in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.