The Supreme Court's Appellate Division today(February 14) has upheld the Chamber Court order halting a High Court order. The court has also ordered the High Court to settle the rule. A six-member bench headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique has suspended the High Court's order and has halted the Appellate Board's decision by canceling Zayed Khan's candidacy and naming film actress Nipun as the general secretary of the Film Artistes' Association.
The apex court also prolonged the chamber judge's order, which had declared a status quo on holing the office of the association's general secretary on February 9 and stated that no one could enter the office until further order. The SC also instructed both sides' counsel to appear at the HC tomorrow (Tuesday) for a hearing on the ruling in this case, as scheduled.
After hearing a leave to appeal petition filed by Nipun contesting the HC ruling, a full bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique issued the order. During today's virtual hearing of the appeal, lawyers Rokanuddin Mahmud and Mustafizur Rahman argued for Nipun, while lawyer Ahsanul Karim, accompanied by lawyers Yusuf Hussain Humayun and Nahid Sultana Juthi, pleaded for Zayed Khan.
Following Zayed Khan's writ suit, the HC on February 7 postponed the Appellate Board's decision to dismiss his candidacy for a week.
The HC also issued a regulation requiring the government and Appellate Board officials, as well as Nipun, to explain why the appellate board's judgment should not be ruled unconstitutional, and set February 15.
