September 4, 2002	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Saani25,1423

DHAKA, Sept 3: A vacation bench of the High Court division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court has turned down a writ petition, challenging former President Professor Badruddoza Chowdhury’s resignation nine weeks ago.

The writ, filed by an elderly politician, Oli Ahad, claimed that President Chowdhury was forced to step down from the highest post of the republic, and urged the court to declare the resignation extra-constitutional.

The bench, comprising Justice Khademul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, turned down the petition arguing that a vacation bench is supposed to deal with very urgent matters of grave importance.

Without making any observation on the merit of the writ, the judges told the petitioner that he was free to file the petition after the resumption of the regular business of the court on Oct 19.

Oli Ahad’s lawyer told newsmen that his client would file the petition in a regular bench after the end of the court vacation.