No bar to BNP MP Sarwar Alamgir performing parliamentary duties: Attorney General

The Appellate Division on Wednesday removed from its cause list a petition seeking to bar BNP lawmaker Sarwar Alamgir, elected from the Chattogram-2 constituency in the 13th parliamentary election, from attending parliament and performing his duties as an MP. The court, however, asked the petitioner to file a regular appeal against the High Court judgment.

Following the order, Attorney General Ruhul Quddus Kajal said the High Court had already declared Alamgir's nomination valid, after which he took oath as an MP.

"As the Appellate Division has removed that application from its cause list, there is no legal bar to his discharging his duties as a member of parliament," he said.

The order was passed by a bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury after hearing an application filed by Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Nurul Amin, who sought a stay on the High Court verdict that upheld Sarwar Alamgir's nomination and an order restraining him from attending parliamentary sessions.

On Tuesday night, the Supreme Court published the full 23-page High Court judgment declaring Alamgir's nomination valid. The judgment was uploaded to the Supreme Court's website on July 28.

The state was represented by Attorney General Kajal, while Alamgir was represented by senior advocate Ahsanul Karim and Barrister A.M. Mahbub Uddin Khokon. Jamaat candidate Nurul was represented by senior advocate Shishir Monir, assisted by lawyer Azim Uddin Patwari.

Following the hearing, Shishir said the court had directed his client to file a regular appeal. He argued that although Alamgir had already taken oath and remained an MP, it would be unethical for him to attend parliamentary sessions until the appeal was disposed of.

Lawyer Azim said the Jamaat candidate would file an appeal before the Appellate Division challenging the High Court judgment.

Earlier, on July 9, a High Court bench comprising Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Md Asif Hasan upheld the validity of Alamgir's nomination. He took oath as an MP later the same day.