The High Court today gave the Election Commission (EC) permission to proceed with the process of holding the 12th parliamentary election on January 7.
The court dismissed a writ petition that questioned the legitimacy of declaring the date for the upcoming Jatiya Sangsad election.
After hearing the petition, the HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah passed the order.
Md Eunus Ali Akond, a Supreme Court lawyer, filed the case on November 29 as a public interest litigation with the HC, seeking a stay on the EC`s November 15 schedule for holding the poll on January 7.
The petitioner further requested that the HC issue orders to the EC to rearrange the date of the national elections.
According to Article 123 (3) of the constitution, the general election must be held within 90 days after the parliament is dissolved, he wrote in his petition. However, the EC has set a date for the election on January 7, while the existing parliament remains in session.
Many members of the current parliament who receive reimbursement by the state are apparently contesting in the upcoming parliamentary election. As a result, the future elections cannot be held while the existing parliament remains in place, according to the petition, adding that many candidates were unable to submit nomination papers owing to the current political scenario.
