HC starts hearing legality challenge

The High Court yesterday started hearing on the rule issued over the legality of ruling Awami League leader Nizam Uddin Hazari's holding the office of a lawmaker.

The HC issued the rule on June 8, 2014 asking the government, Election Commission and Nizam to explain why his parliament seat should not be declared vacant.

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The rule was issued following a writ petition filed by Shakhawat Hossain Bhuiyan, a Jubo League leader of Feni, claiming that Nizam, who was elected unopposed from Feni-2 constituency in January 5, 2014 elections, had resorted to forgery to get out of jail early and run in the polls.

Quoting a newspaper report, Shakhawat in his petition said a Chittagong court had sentenced Nizam to 10 years' imprisonment in an arms case on August 16, 2000.

He surrendered to the court on September 14, 2000, and was sent to Chittagong jail to serve the jail term.

But he was in jail for only five years and was released on December 1, 2005, through fraudulence, Shakhawat claimed.

He said Nizam was supposed to be in jail until September 13, 2010, and he, according to the law, was not supposed to be eligible to run in any parliamentary polls before September, 2015.

The petitioner said Nizam could not have been a candidate in the parliamentary election of January 5, 2014, adding that Nizam had provided false information to the EC about serving his jail term. The HC bench of Justice Md Emdadul Huq and Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah fixed January 26 for resuming the hearing on the rule, petitioner's lawyer Manzill Murshid told The Daily Star. Earlier three judges of separate three HC benches have felt embarrassed to hold hearing on the rule, he added.