HC order not to recruit 85 more within one month
The High Court yesterday directed the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Election Commission (EC) not to take any step within one month to recruit 85 upazila election officers as per the announcement of the PSC chairman.
Upon a writ petition, a division bench of Justice Khademul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Mashuque Hosain Ahmed also issued a rule upon the government to explain within four weeks why the move to recruit the election officers without any advertisement should not be declared illegal
The PSC chairman, the chief election commissioner and the establishment secretary have been asked to reply to the rule.
The rule came after two sacked upazila election officers -- Nazmul Ahsan and Tariqul Islam -- filed the writ petition challenging the legality of the PSC chairman's announcement for recruitment of the upazila election officers.
Petitioners' counsel advocate Abdur Rab Chowdhury told The Daily Star that the caretaker government on September 3 last year sacked 85 upazila election officers on charges that they were appointed on political considerations during the tenure of the BNP-Jamaat alliance government.
These officers had also filed an appeal with the administrative appellate tribunal against the government action. The tribunal has recently fixed September 3 for delivering the verdict and the Election Commission (EC) has also been informed of it.
On September 16 last year, the PSC issued a circular for the recruitment of 37 upazila election officers as per requisition of the EC.
And on August 19 this year, PSC Chairman Dr Saadat Hussain told the media that the PSC would recruit 85 more upazila election officers against the vacant posts. But no circular was issued.
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