DHAKA, Aug 2: The High Court on Tuesday declared a law creating the ‘village level governments’ unconstitutional and void. Justice ABM Khairul Haque and Justice ATM Fazle Kabir passed the judgment on a writ petition the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust had filed challenging the constitutionality of the act.

“We declare the Gram Sarkar Act 2003 unconstitutional and ultra vires of the constitution,” said the court in its verdict.

“This law cannot exist to support the elected body of Union Parishad [council].”

The verdict leaves 39,786 gram sarkars (village governments) formed in July and August 2003 abolished, Tanjib-ul-Alam, one of the lawyers who moved the petition, told New Age after the verdict.

The government may, however, appeal to the appellate division of the Supreme Court against the verdict. The local government minister told journalists that the government would appeal against the high court order.