Reporter Name 
The High Court (HC) on Monday dismissed a writ petition seeking a suspension of all activities related to the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election, declaring the petition as “not pressed”.
A bench comprising Justice Shikdar Mahmudur Razi and Justice Raziuddin Ahmed passed the order after holding a hearing on the writ. Advocate Earul Islam appeared for the petitioner.
Following the hearing, Earul Islam told reporters that the court observed that an electoral environment has already been created, and it would not be appropriate to entertain the petition at this stage. As a result, the writ was rejected as “not pressed”.
The writ had been filed on December 3 by Bangladesh Congress Secretary General and lawyer Earul Islam, naming the Chief Election Commissioner as the respondent.
The petition argued that conducting elections through officials of the executive branch contradicts the Constitution, asserting that the Election Commission (EC), as an independent institution, should have its own administrative workforce.
The petitioner sought directives for appointing the EC Secretary, returning officers and assistant returning officers from among district and upazila election officials, instead of deputy commissioners (DCs) and upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs).
It further called for the establishment of an “Electoral Service Commission” to recruit EC staff through an internal promotion system.
The writ also raised concerns that the executive administration has lost public trust and therefore cannot ensure a free, fair, and acceptable election.
The interim government has already announced that both the national election and referendum will be held on the same day in the first half of February, with the Election Commission preparing to announce the schedule in the second week of December.
Advocate Earul Islam said the government and the EC have already held meetings with DCs, indicating their involvement in conducting the polls.
He warned that assigning DCs and UNOs similar responsibilities again could result in another “influenced” election.
