Pro-BNP, Jamaat lawyers, petitioners happy with HC verdict on caretaker govt

BNP and Jamaat-backed lawyers and writ petitioners said that they are happy with the High Court's verdict of scrapping a part of the constitution's 15th amendment that cancelled the provision of the non-party caretaker government system.

They also said the verdict is a historic and timely judgement for the country.

Badiul Alam Majumder, secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik, also one of the five petitioners, said the court has acknowledged and thanked those who filed the petition.

"We are happy and satisfied with the judgement. The court thanked the civil society members who had been fought during the extreme hostile environments," he said.

He added that the Awami League government became authoritarian with the help of the 15th amendment of the constitution and with the judgement of Justice ABM Khairul Haque.

"Achieving democracy will depend on the behaviours of people and political parties," he said.

Quoting the HC, Sharif Bhuiyan, lawyer of the petitioners, said, as the democracy and election are basics of the constitution, the caretaker government system became a part of it.

"We have filed a review petition of the judgement of Justice Khairul Haque to the Appellate Division which is pending and scheduled for hearing in the third week of January. If the Appellate Division gives verdict on our side, only then we would be able to say the caretaker government has been restored," he said.

An intervener on behalf of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Mohammad Shishir Manir, said, the constitution has a basic structure of doctrine which is not possible to change but the 15th amendment violated it and made some changes in that "fabric of the constitution".

"Democracy is the basic structure of our constitution, and the court said the caretaker government also became a basic structure of the constitution as without such kind of government it is not possible to conduct free, fair and impartial elections," he said.

With the last three national elections, quoting the court, Shishir Manir said people's confidence on the election process has destroyed.

"We all are happy, those who argued in the court," he said, adding that people have accepted today's verdict.

BNP's Vice-Chairman Advocate Zainul Abedin joined as another intervener on behalf of his party. He said, all other amendments except the fifth amendment were done on personal interests of the incumbent governments.

"People's will is the basic to change the constitution, but the previous government did not bother about the people's will before bringing the 15th amendment. They have used the court to bring that amendment by putting pressure on it," he said.