December 8, 2023
DHAKA – The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today upheld its order that on May 18 this year had cleared the way for President Mohammad Shahabuddin to continue as the head of the state.
The apex court had also imposed a fine of Tk 1 lakh to petitioner Advocate MA Aziz Khan, for wasting its valuable time by moving a petition seeking its ruling to declare the post of president vacant and to hold a fresh election for the post.
A six-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order after dismissing a petition seeking review of its May 18 directives.
The other five judges of the bench are Justice Borhanuddin, Justice M Enayetur Rahim, Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam, and Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim.
Advocate MA Aziz Khan told The Daily Star that he will pay the cost imposed by the SC on him to the authorities concerned after receiving the full text of its order.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin appeared for the state and Senior lawyer ABM Altaf Hossain was present for the president during the hearing.
Aziz Khan in May submitted a leave to appeal petition to the SC as its chamber judge on March 21 upheld a High Court order that on March 15 rejected his writ petition challenging the legality of the process of electing Shahabuddin as president.
The apex court on. May 18 dismissed the leave to appeal petition and fined him Tk 1 lakh.
Shahabuddin was sworn in as the 22nd President of Bangladesh on April 24 as the tenure of outgoing president Abdul Hamid expired on that day.