BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s counsel has expressed no-confidence over the new High Court bench formed to hear all three of her petition’s challenging the EC’s decision to scrap her nomination.

They expressed no-confidence during a hearing of the aforementioned petitions in the HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan on Thursday (Dec 13).

Barrister Badruddoza Badal, AKM Ahsanur Rahman Pramukh and AJM Mohammad Ali moved for Khaleda’s petition while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the Election Commission.

The court said that it will not issue an order on the matter as Khaleda’s counsel did not submit a written application voicing their concerns.

They have been directed to submit their application at the HC or the chief justice and fixed Dec 17 as the next hearing date.

Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain fixed the single bench of Justice JBM Hassan on Wednesday (Dec 12) to dispose of the former prime minister’s petitions as a HC bench had previously issued a split verdict on the matter.

On Tuesday (Dec 11), the bench of justices Syed Refaat Ahmed and 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.