Supreme Court Begins Hearing on Appeals Over Caretaker System Verdict

The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has commenced hearings on the appeals challenging the High Court verdict that declared several provisions of the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution illegal, including the abolition of the caretaker government mechanism.

This long-debated constitutional dispute resurfaced in the Appellate Division on Sunday (7 December) before a bench led by Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed.

Appearing for the appellants, senior advocate Dr. Sharif Bhuiyan presented arguments contesting the High Court’s 2024 ruling. The state is being represented by Additional Attorney General Barrister Anik R. Haque. The legal proceedings follow the Supreme Court’s earlier decision on 13 November to grant leave to appeal the High Court’s judgment, signaling the case’s national importance.

On 2 December, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir joined the party in the appeal, adding further political significance to the matter. The original High Court ruling, delivered on 17 December 2024, had stirred widespread debate by declaring several provisions of the Fifteenth Amendment unconstitutional.

These included the removal of the caretaker government system, which historically served as a non-partisan mechanism to oversee national elections. The High Court also restored the referendum clause in the Constitution, reviving the possibility of public voting on major national issues.

The Supreme Court is expected to conduct extensive hearings on constitutional interpretation, electoral governance, and democratic accountability before issuing its final verdict. Legal experts anticipate that the outcome could influence the future structure of election management in Bangladesh and reshape ongoing national political discourse.