The High Court on Wednesday rejected a writ petition filed three years ago by rights organisation ‘Odhikar’ challenging the legality of NGO Affairs Bureau's decision to not renew its registration.
The High Court bench of Justice Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir delivered the verdict after hearing petitioner's lawyer who said that the organization will not run the petition as it has submitted an appeal to the office of the senior secretary at the Prime Minister's Office against the NGO Bureau's decision.
Lawyer Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan appeared in the court hearing on behalf of the organization, while deputy attorney general Kazi Maynul Hassan represented the state.
Mr Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan said Odhikar will take necessary steps after receiving the decision from the PMO office to this effect.
There is no legal bar for Odhikar to run its functions as a volunteer organization, also said the lawyer adding that Odhikar is not getting foreign donations as its registration was not renewed.
A petition was submitted to the director general of the NGO Affairs Bureau on behalf of the Odhikar on September 25 in 2014 for renewing its registration. As no result came from the bureau, Odhikar filed a writ petition with the High Court in 2019 challenging the inaction of the bureau.
The High Court after a primary hearing on the petition issued a rule asking the respondents of the government to explain why the inaction of the NGO Bureau in renewing the registration of the Odhikar should not be declared illegal and why the respondents should not be directed to renew the registration of the Odhikar. The rule came on the cause list on May 26 this year for a hearing.
Meanwhile, the NGO Affairs Bureau on June 5 this year rejected the petition filed by the Odhikar for renew its registration. The latest situation was placed in the High Court on June 14 through a supplementary petition. In continuation of that, the writ came into the casue-list on Wednesday for judgment.
