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Women's Reserved Seats

HC asks govt, EC why provision not unconstitutional

Staff Correspondent
The High Court (HC) yesterday asked the government, the speaker and the Election Commission why the provision of women's reserved
seaLs in parliament put in place through the 14th amendment to the constitution should not be declared unconstitutional.
The High Court bench of Justice MA Matin and Justice Tarik-Ul-Hakim passed the rule on a writ petition filed by opposition political parties and civil society members on July 19, challenging the new constitutional provision for 45 reserved seats for women in the Jatiya Sangsad.
The respondents are to reply to the rule in three weeks.
The court will simultaneously hear the matter and a pending, similar writ petition, which eight women-rights activists filed on June 20 and obtained a court ruling.
Lawyers for the petitioners told court that the election manifesto of the ruling BNP before the last general election pledged to introduce direct election for women and increase the number of reserved seats for them. But it did not live up to the promise, which amounts to cheating people and breaching the constitution.
Barrister Amir-Ul Islam and Barrister Tania Amir moved for the petitioners while Deputy Attorney General Adilur Rahman Khan opposed the move.
Prof Rehman Sobhan of CPD, Dr Anisuzzaman, educationalist, Awami League lawmakers Advocate Rahmat Ali and Asaduzzaman Noor, Jatiya Party lawmaker Anwar Hossain Manju, Hasanul Haque Inu, JSD, Fazle Hossain Badsha of the Workers Party, Ayesha Khanam of Mahila
Parshad, Prof Jahanara Haque of Women for Women, Shireen Akhter of JSD, Rekha Chowdhury of Mahila Parishad, Mahbuba Begum, of BAWSE, Rekha Saha of Steps
Towards Development, Farida Khanam of Mahila Muktijoddha
Sangsad and Advocate Momtaz
Begum filed the petition.
The petition said the 14th amendment to the constitution, which parliament passed on May 16 introducing 45 reserved seats in the House for women, goes against the fundamentals of the constitution.
The provision for reserved seats will be effective for 10 years from the first sitting of the next parliament.
The incumbent parliament will also have reserved seats as the 14th amendment inserted a subarticle in the fourth schedule of the constitution to this effect. However, election to the reserved seats is yet to be held, as the government has not enacted the law.