SC to hear appeal against HC verdict barring female marriage registrars on April 4
A full bench of the Supreme Court will hold a hearing on April 4 on an appeal challenging the High Court verdict that barred women from becoming Nikah (Muslim marriage) registrars in the country.
Chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC Justice Hasan Foez Siddique today sent the appeal to its full bench and fixed April 4 for hearing the matter.
The apex court chamber judge passed the order after a brief hearing on the leave to appeal petition against the HC verdict filed by rights organisation Foundation for Law and Development.
The HC in a verdict on February 26 last year ruled that women could not become Nikah registrars due to certain "physical conditions" and social as well as practical situations of the country.
"It has to be borne in mind that due to certain physical conditions a lady cannot enter the mosque during a certain time of the month. She is even excused from performing the mandatory daily prayers during this particular time. This disqualification does not allow her to conduct the religious task. We are mindful of the fact that Muslim marriage is a religious ceremony and has to be guided by the terms and dictates of Islam," the HC bench of Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury and Kazi Zinat Hoque observed.
The judges came up with the observation in a full text of a verdict which was released after they signed it recently.
The HC bench delivered the verdict after rejecting a writ petition filed by a marriage registrar candidate, Ayesha Siddiqua, from Dinajpur challenging a government decision not to recruit her as a Nikah register.
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