Rule questioning Papul’s parliamentary membership: HC sets February 22 for hearing

The High Court has set February 22 for hearing the rule that questioned legality of the parliamentary membership of Mohammad Shahid Islam alias Kazi Papul for providing false information to the Election Commission through his affidavit.

The bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Justice Mohammad Ullah yesterday set February 22 for hearing on the matter after the writ petitioner's lawyer Sheikh Awsafur Rahman prayed for early hearing on the rule.

The lawyer told The Daily Star that the respondents are yet to place any reply to the rule before the HC.

Following a writ petition filed by Abul Fayez Bhuiyan, a resident of Laxmipur, the HC on August 18 last year issued the rule asking the respondents to explain why the parliamentary membership of Kazi Papul, who has been elected as an independent lawmaker from Laxmipur-2 constituency, should not be declared illegal for providing false information to the EC.

Sheikh Awsafur Rahman earlier told The Daily Star that Papul has submitted a degree pass certificate to the EC along with the affidavit before the last parliamentary election but he said in the affidavit that he passed the master's degree.

Papul did not submit his SSC and HSC certificates to the EC which is fraudulence, and therefore, he cannot hold the office of MP, the lawyer said.

On June 6 last year, Kuwait's Criminal Investigation Department arrested Papul on charges of human trafficking, visa trading, and money laundering.

In January this year, a court in Kuwait sentenced Papul to four years in prison and fined him 1.97 million Kuwaiti dinars (around Tk 55 crore) in a bribery case.