High Court issues rule over Reazul Hoque's appointment as NHRC chairman

The High Court has issued a rule questioning Kazi Reazul Hoque's appointment as the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The rule was issued on Sunday by the bench of justices Md Rezaul Haque and Mohammad Ullah after gthey heard a petition challenging the legality of the appointment.

The NHRC chief has been told to come up with an explanation within four weeks.

The petition, filed by Supreme Court lawyer Younus Ali Akhand, says Hoque had served as a member of the commission for two terms -- in 2010 and 2013-- before being appointed as the chairman in August this year.

It cites the clause of the 2009 National Human Rights Commission Act, which stipulates that no individual can serve as the member or the chairman of the commission for more than two terms.

The petition also cites another clause which says that members and the chief of the NHRC has to be someone who had contributions in the legal profession, or in areas of human rights or social welfare.

Petitioner Younus Ali Akhand says Hoque's appointment violated that clause as well.

"Chairman of the human rights commission has the rank of status of an Appellate Division judge. According to the Constitution, no one without a 10-years experience of legal practice or as a judge can be appointed to that post," he told bdnews24.com.

On Oct 26, Akhand had served Hoque with a legal notice. He moved the court on Wednesday as the notice elicited no response.

Hoque retired from the civil service in 2006.

Having served in local administration, autonomous institutions and in the Bangladesh Secretariat, he had been a full- time member of the commission.

After his retirement from public service, Hoque had also served as the executive director of the Legal Education and Training Institute (LETI) at Bangladesh Bar Council.

The panel, which forwarded his recommendation to the president as NHRC chief, is headed by Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.