Verdict on Nizam Hazari's JS membership now Dec 6

The High Court today fixed December 6 for delivering verdict on a writ petition that challenged the legality of holding Jatiya Sangsad membership by Nizam Uddin Hazari, an Awami League leader in Feni.

The bench of Justice Md Emdadul Huq and Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan set the date after concluding hearing arguments on the petition. 

Earlier, the bench had adjourned delivering verdict for four times on the petition for different reasons.

Shakhawat Hossain Bhuiyan, a Jubo League leader of Feni, filed the petition as public interest litigation with the HC on June 8, 2014 praying to the court to declare Nizam disqualified for contesting the parliamentary polls and his holding the office as a lawmaker for his alleged forgery in getting early release from jail in a criminal case.

Quoting a newspaper report, Shakhawat in his petition said a Chittagong court had sentenced Nizam to 10 years in jail in an arms case on August 16, 2000. He surrendered to the court on September 14, 2000, and was sent to Chittagong jail to serve his term.

But he was in jail for only five years and was released on December 1, 2005, through fraudulence, Shakhawat said. 

He said Nizam was supposed to be in jail until September 13, 2010, and he, according to the law, was not supposed to be eligible to run in parliamentary polls before September 2015.

The petitioner said Nizam could not have been a candidate in the parliamentary election of January 5, 2014, adding that Nizam had provided false information about serving his jail term to the Election Commission.

The HC same day issued a rule asking the government and the Election Commission to explain why the ruling Awami League leader Nizam Uddin Hazari’s parliament seat should not be declared vacant.