Hearing on 3 review petitions to restore caretaker govt on Nov 17

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has fixed November 17 for the review hearing of three petitions seeking reconsideration of a ruling that scrapped the 13th amendment of the constitution for the introduction of a caretaker government system.

The Appellate Division bench led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed passed the order on Thursday (October 24).

On October 16, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir filed a review petition against the ruling that abolished the caretaker government system. Besides, on August 25, Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar also filed a separate review application against the ruling. Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar also filed a review application against the ruling yesterday.

The 13th amendment to the constitution, which included the caretaker government system, was adopted by parliament in 1996.

Challenging the validity of this amendment, three lawyers, including Advocate M Salimullah, filed a writ in the High Court.

On May 10, 2011, the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division declared the 13th amendment “illegal” and annulled it, abolishing the caretaker government system.

However, the court led by then-chief justice ABM Khairul Haque expressed that the 10th and 11th elections could be held under a caretaker government.

The ruling stated that in this case, any decision regarding the chief adviser of the caretaker government could be made based on consensus in parliament.