Legal notice served on Shahjahan Khan

A Supreme Court lawyer today served a legal notice on Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, requesting him (Shahjahan) to explain in 24 hours under what authority he has been holding the post of executive president of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation.

Advocate Aklas Uddin Bhuiyan sent the legal notice saying that holding the office of executive president of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation (Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation) is contradictory to the constitution of the republic. 

He said in the legal notice that Shahjahan Khan has been elected a member of parliament unopposed in the election held on January 5, 2014 and he took oath as a minister on January 12 the same year.

As a minister he cannot hold the post of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation, as this organisation is a collective bargaining agency (CBA), he said in the legal notice.

He said in the legal notice that the CBA is supposed to bargain with the government about the facilities of the workers and to take action against the workers if he or she is involved in any offence.

As a minister of the government, Shahjahan Khan’s being elected as the executive president of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation is against the constitution and morally questionable, the SC lawyer said in the legal notice.

Advocate Aklas told The Daily Star that he will move a writ petition before the High Court seeking necessary order if Shahjahan Khan does not reply to the legal notice served on him in 24 hours.