The High Court (HC) yesterday issued a rule nisi on the government asking it to show cause within six weeks why the promotion of 170 deputy secretaries as joint secretaries would not be declared illegal and null and void.

The HC also asked the government to explain why the policy under which the promotions were given would not be declared illegal.

A Division Bench of the HC comprising Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Md Arayesuddin Ahmed further ordered that the 'secret policy' along with related documents should be produced in the court.

The HC rule and order followed a writ petition filed on behalf of the 1973 batch of officials.

The writ was jointly filed by Director of Planning and Development Academy Mollah Anwarul haq, Deputy Secretary of

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Food Ministry Mohammad Abdul Haq, Director of Rehabilitation Project of JMB Bikash Chowdhury, Deputy Secretary of Health Ministry Momtajuddin Ahmed and Director of Compulsory Primary Education Unit Hasinuzzaman Chowdhury Ana.

The writ petition said the government adopted 'secret policy' to deprive the freedom fighter officers of 1973 batch. The policy is kept secret and the petitioners were not given any copy of the policy.

The petitioners further said the establishment secretary had threatened that punitive measures would be taken against them if they filed any case concerning these promotions.

Dr Kamal Hossain, Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, Barrister Tanjib-ul-Alam, Promila Biswas, BN rashid and Asadullah Tareq appeared on behalf of the petitioners.