The High Court yesterday stayed the judgment of the Piro-Jpur district election tribunal declaring the election of Ja-maat MP Moulana Delwar Hossain Sayeedi "illegal and void." reports UNB.

The election tribunal -delivered the Judgment upon a petl tion filed by Awami League leader Sudangshu Shekhar Halder who lost to Sayeedi in the 1996 parliamentary polls.

A High Court division bench comprising Justice Kazi Safi-uddin and Justice Gour Gopal Shaha admitted an appeal challenging the Judgment after hearing Sayeedi's counsel BNP leader Khandakar Mahabuddin Ahmed.

A petition for stay was also placed before the court and the court after hearing SS Halder's counsel Barrister Amirul Islam issued a rule as to why the operation of the Judgment of the tribunal should not be stayed.

The court granted ad-in-terim stay for four weeks and fixed up the date of hearing of the stay petition on July 3.

Mahabubuddin told the court that since the election of one centre of Pirojpur-1 constituency has been declared void by the election tribunal there is no cause for cancelling the election of entire constituency wherein there is no complaint against the election of 90 centres.

Barrister Islam opposed the stay, saying the High Court has no power to stay the operation of the judgment of the tribunal, it can only hear the appeal.

He further said that , without hearing the appeal the court can't interfere into the operation of the Judgment by way of passing an order of stay.

Barrister Islam was assisted by Barrister Rafiqul Huq. Barrister Rakanuddin Mahmud and SS Halder.

Mahabubuddin was aided by Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Barrister Abdur Razzaque and Advocate Sheikh Ansar Ali.