Bangladesh high court gives Yunus govt legal validity as caretaker govt

NEw Delhi: It appears to be like a mission almost accomplished for Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh, which has now got legal validity from the high court.

In a significant ruling, the high court scrapped a section of the 15th Amendment Act of the Constitution, giving more teeth to the Yunus government as it faced mounting pressure from all quarters to initiate processes for an elected government in Bangladesh, First Post reported.

The now-scrapped section of the 15th Amendment Act of the Constitution of Bangladesh had abolished the non-party caretaker government system.

Removing the section, the Bangladesh High Court clarified that the current interim government led by Yunus is “totally different” and did not fall in this category as it was formed by the country’s president after he sought the opinion of the appellate division of the Supreme Court, reports said. Not just this, the court also restored the provision for holding referendums for amending the Constitution.

“The abolition of the non-partisan caretaker government system has destroyed democracy, the process of free and fair elections, independence of the judiciary and the sovereignty of people, which are the basic structures of the constitution,” the Bangladesh HC observed. The court, in its ruling, further said that abolishing the non-party caretaker government system was “unconstitutional and void as it undermined democracy, free and fair elections, and judicial independence — fundamental pillars of the constitution’s basic structure”. It further said that restoration of the caretaker government system will make way for holding elections under a “non-partisan” government.