HC appoints 2 amici curiae on CHT issue

The High Court (HC) yesterday appointed two senior lawyers as amicus curiae (friends of court) for expert opinions during the hearing on the HC rules regarding the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord.

The amici curiae are advocate TH Khan and barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud.

The HC bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury also fixed October 22 for hearing the rules.

In 2000 and 2007, Badiuzzaman, Bangalee settler in CHT, and Tajul Islam, pro-Jamaat-e-Islami lawyer, with two writ petitions challenged the legality of the CHT peace accord and its provisions.

The HC following the writ petitions had issued separate rules asking the government to explain why the CHT peace deal and its provisions should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional.

The matters yesterday came up on the cause list for hearing.

Tajul Islam yesterday told The Daily Star that the High Court appointed amici curiae for expert opinions, as important constitutional and legal points are involved in this matter.

On December 2, 1997, the previous Awami League government led by then prime minister Sheikh Hasina signed the peace accord with Parbatya Chattagram Jano Sanhati Samiti (PCJSS) leader Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, also known as Santu Larma, ending an over two-decade-old insurgency.