The High Court (HC) on Monday discarded a writ petition challenging the February national election preparations after the petitioner decided to not present it in the hearing.

The bench of Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi and Justice Raziuddin Ahmed discarded the writ as it was not presented before them.

Advocate Md Earul Islam, secretary general of Bangladesh Congress, filed the writ on 3 December, but declined to present it at the hearing on Monday.

Justifying his withdrawal of the writ, Earul Islam said the High Court had noted that the petition challenging polls is not appropriate amid the election-friendly environment in the country.

Speaking to journalists on the court premises, Earul said he took the HC suggestion into consideration, and also considered the greater good of the people. Therefore, he has decided to not “press” the writ before justices.

In the writ petition, he had raised concerns regarding the “outsized role of the executive branch in election arrangement.” All the activities during the elections should be conducted by the Election Commission, he suggested.

Instead, despite having adequate manpower of its own, the EC is set to rely on government-appointed district commissioners, and upazila nirbahi officers to conduct the polls, the writ said.