SC enters sixth day of hearings on caretaker government appeal

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today began its sixth day of hearings on an appeal challenging its previous judgment that abolished the non-party caretaker government system for holding national elections.

The full bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, commenced proceedings around 9:30am.

Senior Advocate Zainul Abedin continued his arguments for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which had filed one of the pleas. He had begun his submissions on 29 October.

Earlier, Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir argued on behalf of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on 28 October.

Advocate Sharif Bhuiyan was the first to present arguments on 21 October, on behalf of five distinguished citizens, and continued the following day. Barrister Ehsan Abdullah Siddiq also took part in the hearing as an intervener on 23 October.

On 27 August 2025, the Appellate Division granted leave to appeal against its 2011 verdict that declared the 13th Amendment, introducing the caretaker government system, unconstitutional.

The court granted the order after hearing multiple review petitions seeking the reinstatement of the 13th Amendment and revival of the caretaker system.

Four review pleas were filed in total, by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, five prominent citizens including SUJAN Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, and an individual petitioner. All are being heard together.

Previously on 17 December 2024, the High Court had declared the abolition of the caretaker government system unconstitutional.

After the High Court judgment, Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman told reporters that the ruling effectively restored the caretaker provision as part of the Constitution.