High Court Rejects Plea to Suspend Presidential Poll

The High Court has rejected a writ petition challenging the validity of Article 70 of the Constitution and seeking suspension of the schedule for the presidential election.

A High Court bench comprising Justice Khizir Ahmed Chowdhury and Justice A F M Saiful Karim passed the order on Tuesday.

Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kajal represented the state, while lawyer Md Yunus Ali Akand appeared for the petitioner.

The court had fixed Tuesday to deliver its order on the writ, which was filed on August 13 by Yunus Ali Akand.

The petition challenged the constitutional validity of Article 70 and sought suspension of the presidential election schedule.

The state was represented by Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kajal, along with Deputy Attorney General Mamun Chowdhury and Akhtar Hossain Md Abdul Wahab.

Article 70 of the Constitution states that if a lawmaker elected on the nomination of a political party resigns from that party or votes against it in Parliament, the lawmaker’s seat will become vacant. However, the provision does not make the lawmaker ineligible to contest a subsequent parliamentary election.

The petitioner argued that Article 70 prevents lawmakers from voting independently in Parliament and undermines their democratic rights.