SC appeal hearing on 15th amendment adjourned till after polls

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has adjourned until 5 March the hearing on appeals challenging the High Court verdict that declared several provisions of the 15th amendment to the Constitution, including the abolition of the caretaker government system, unconstitutional.

A six-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed, passed the order on Thursday after a hearing. The appeals had also been heard on earlier dates.

The next hearing is scheduled for 5 March 2026, around three weeks after the 13th parliamentary election and referendum set for 12 February.

The 15th amendment, adopted in 2011, altered 54 provisions of the Constitution.

In August 2024, the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, five eminent citizens, Shujon Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, and freedom fighter Md Mofazzal Hossain of Naogaon filed writ petitions challenging the amendment’s legality.

On 17 December, the High Court ruled several provisions unconstitutional, including those that scrapped the caretaker government system, and restored the provision for holding a referendum.

However, it did not strike down the amendment in full. Elements such as the recognition of the Father of the Nation and the declaration of 26 March were left to Parliament to retain in accordance with public sentiment.

Following the verdict, the petitioners filed separate appeals seeking a complete annulment of the 15th Amendment.

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