High Court moratorium on all election processes for 3 months

Dhaka, Jan 29 (UNI) The political uncertainty deepened in Bagladesh with today's High Court ruling to stall the general elections for three months.

Halting preparations for all elections in the country, the High Court directed the Election Commission to explain ''why the existing electoral roll should not be declared illegal'' as it was prepared without complying with the Representation of People Order 1972 and the Supreme Court directives.

A division bench comprising Justices Syed M Dastagir Husain and Mamnoon Rahman passed the orders of injunction and show-cause notice responding to a petition filed by a voter of Dhaka-6 parliamentary constituency.

The rule is made returnable in three weeks.

Petitioner Kazi Mamunur Rashid submitted that the Election Commission had failed to prepare an electoral roll in accordance with the guideline of the Representation of People Order 1972 and the Supreme Court edicts.

''Any free, fair and credible election, either local or national, cannot take place without a valid voter list. The present one has been prepared as per wish of the Election Commission, ignoring the Representation of People Order 1972 as well as the Supreme Court edicts,'' the petitioner contended.

The moratorium on elections came at a time when there have been debates going on as to whether the polls could be held in next three months after the caretaker government had failed to arrange the elections within its stipulated 90-day timeframe because of political tangles.

The deadlock led to declaration of a state of emergency in the country on January 11 and the Election Commission on January 21 issued a notification scrapping the general election set for January 22.

Amid the crisis, President Iajuddin Ahmed relinquished the office of Chief Advisor of the caretaker government on January 11 and the interim government was reconstituted thereafter to prepare a ''level playing filed'' before holding the stalled polls.

UNI