A writ petition has been filed before the High Court challenging the legality of the nationwide referendum held on February 12 and seeking cancellation of the results announced on February 13.
The petition was submitted on Tuesday (February 17) to the relevant branch of the Bangladesh Supreme Court by Supreme Court lawyer ABM Ataul Majid Touhid in the public interest.
According to the petitioner, the Chief Election Commissioner, the Cabinet Secretary, and the Secretary of the Ministry of Law have been made respondents in the case. He said the matter may be heard next week by a High Court bench led by Justice Fatema Najib.
The referendum, held across the country on February 12, resulted in a majority voting in favor of change, with the “Yes” vote securing victory. The overall voter turnout was recorded at 60.26 percent.
Official figures show that 48,074,429 voters cast their ballots in favor of the proposed change, while 22,565,627 voted against it.
Further developments are expected following the court’s decision on whether to admit the petition for hearing.
