High Court verdict on Validity of 15th Amendment Today

A bench comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury will announce the decision following the conclusion of hearings earlier this month.

On December 4, the court wrapped up the hearings on two writ petitions challenging the legitimacy of the amendment.

Political parties, including the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, were involved in filing the petitions, with many pushing for the restoration of the caretaker government system.

The 15th Amendment, enacted by the ruling Awami League on June 30, 2011, formally abolished the caretaker government system, which had been a provision for overseeing parliamentary elections.

In addition to abolishing the caretaker system, the amendment introduced several significant changes, including a provision imposing the death penalty for unlawful seizure of state power, which it categorizes as treason.

The amendment also altered the election timeline, stipulating that elections must be held within 90 days after the expiration of a parliamentary term, replacing the previous requirement to hold elections within 90 days before the term ends.

Overall, the 15th Amendment introduced 55 major and minor changes to the Constitution, making it a landmark reform.