HC bench refuses to hear petition on keeping CJ post vacant

A High Court bench yesterday refused to hear a writ petition that challenged the legality of keeping the post of chief justice vacant and not appointing a successor to former chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha.

The bench of Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Md Ataur Rahman Khan also advised writ petitioner Advocate Eunus Ali Akond to move the petition before another bench for its hearing.

“Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain told me that he will not hear the petition as he has become an aged man (about 67 years). He [Justice Dastagir], however, said that he will hold hearing on the petition if any other bench does not hear it,” Eunus Ali Akond told The Daily Star.

Eunus said he will move the petition before another bench of the HC on Sunday.

In the petition filed on Wednesday, he prayed to the HC to issue a rule asking the government to explain why its action of keeping the post of chief justice vacant and not appointing a new chief justice should not be declared illegal.

 Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah of the Appellate Division has been discharging the duties of chief justice since October 3 last year, when then chief justice SK Sinha went on leave before finally stepping down.