11 MPs file writ against district-wise distribution of ministers’ responsibilities

A writ petition has been filed with the High Court challenging the government’s decision to distribute the responsibilities of ministers, state ministers and whips among the 64 districts.

Eleven Members of Parliament (MPs) from the opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami filed the writ petition on Sunday (30August).

The Cabinet Secretary has been made a respondent in the petition.

Lawyer for the petitioners, Mohammad Shishir Monir, said, “A similar district-wise distribution of responsibilities was made in 2001. A writ petition was filed at the time challenging the decision. The High Court Division later declared the distribution of responsibilities unconstitutional.”

He said such a decision is beyond the government’s legal authority and is illegal under the Rules of Business, the Constitution of Bangladesh and the High Court’s previous verdict.

The MPs who filed the writ petition are Nazibur Rahman, Mir Ahmed Bin Quashem, Golam Rabbani, Nurul Islam, Masud Parvez, Azizur Rahman, Sheikh Monzurul Haque, Shafiqul Islam Masud and Md Zahirul Islam.

The hearing of the writ petition is expected to be held before a High Court Division bench.