The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday published the full text of the judgement on the reinstatement of 85 upazila election officers who were dismissed in 2007.
The court also asked the authorities concerned to pay their due salaries and allowances from 2007 and consider their dismissal period as special leave.
Earlier on 25 February, the Appellate Division ordered the reinstatement of the 85 upazila after rejecting the appeal petition filed in 2022.
Senior Advocate Salahuddin Dolon and Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal stood for the petitioner, while Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque represented the state.
Advocate Muhammad Khalequzzaman Bhuiyan stood for the Election Commission.
On 3 September, 2005, the government appointed 327 Upazila Election Officers through the Public Service Commission (PSC).
The 85 upazila election officers were dismissed as controversy arose over the appointment during the four-party alliance government, on 3 September 2007.
On 23 March, 2009, an administrative appellate tribunal rejected the appeal submitted by the dismissed officials.
Later, they filed an appeal challenging the order.
On 12 April, 2010, the Appeal Tribunal ordered the reinstatement of the 85 dismissed officials.
The Appellate Division overturned the decision given nearly a decade earlier by the Administrative Appellate Tribunal to reinstate them, effectively blocking their return to service, on 1 September, 2022.
In 2023, they filed a review petition challenging the Appellate Division's 2022 verdict. A hearing on the petition was held on February 20.
Later, on 25 February, the Appellate Division scrapped its previous 2022 verdict and ordered their reinstatement in service.
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