The High Court has rejected two separate writ petitions seeking its directive for regularising former additional justice ABM Altaf Hossain as a judge.
The vacation bench of Justice Hasan Arif and Justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order yesterday.
Earlier, ABM Altaf Hossain and Supreme Court lawyer Idrisur Rahman filed two separate petitions in connection.
The government in June regularised services of five additional High Court judges leaving the name of Altaf, who was appointed as an additional judge in June 2012 along with the others. The government did not mention any reason for the decision.
Altaf’s lawyer Salauddin Dolon told the Dhaka Tribune: “In the case involving 10 judges, the court did not give any directives about what will happen if any contradiction occurs between the chief justice’s recommendation and the executive decision. On that basis, the court has rejected the petitions today [yesterday]. We will decide on whether to appeal against the order after discussing the matter with my client.”
On June 13, 2012, Altaf and five others were appointed for two years as additional justice at the High Court. The five others got permanent appointment on June 9 this year.
On July 7, a legal notice was served for regularising Altaf as a High Court judge since Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain had recommended his name.
Altaf filed the petition with the High Court on August 12. One of the judges of a two-member HC bench on August 14 felt embarrassed to hear the petition. Later the petitions were sent to the vacation bench that rejected those yesterday.
