HC seeks explanation on upazila vice-chairmen removal

The High Court has issued a rule asking why the removal of upazila parishad vice-chairmen and women vice-chairmen should not be declared illegal.

The bench of Justice Razik Al Jalil and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury issued the rule on Thursday, August 6, after the initial hearing of a writ petition on the matter.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Mamun Mahbub argued for the writ petition, assisted by lawyer Md Mehedi Hasan.

Earlier, 236 individuals, including Mohammad Abu Saleh, general secretary of the Upazila Parishad Vice-Chairmen and Women Vice-Chairmen Association, had filed the writ petition.

Regarding the petition, lawyer Mamun Mahbub said the interim government amended Section 13(D) of the Upazila Parishad Act in 2024. The amended provision added that the government may remove the chairman, vice-chairmen, women vice-chairmen or other members of any or all upazila parishads if deemed essential in special circumstances or in the public interest.

Subsequently, under this provision, the chairmen, vice-chairmen and women vice-chairmen of all upazila parishads across the country were removed by a single order. The writ petition was filed challenging the legality of this decision, he said.

Mamun Mahbub said the writ petition has challenged the legality of the amendment to the Upazila Parishad Act and the removal of vice-chairmen and women vice-chairmen based on it. After the hearing, the High Court issued the rule asking why the amended law and the removal of the vice-chairmen and women vice-chairmen should not be declared illegal.

The respondents have been asked to submit their replies to the rule within the next four weeks.