by New Age
A High Court bench on Sunday requested the chief justice to constitute a larger High Court bench for the hearing of a writ petition that challenged the legality of discriminations against women in the Hindu law on property rights.
The bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman made the request after appointing five jurists and a Hindu rights activist as amici curiae for their opinions on a customary law, which deprives Hindu women of inheriting their father’s property.
The amici curiae are lawyers Qumrul Hoque Siddique, Subrata Chowdhury, Prabir Neogi and AM Amin Uddin, also the attorney general, and Tapan Chakrabarty and Bangladesh Hindu Law Reform Council general secretary Pulack Ghatack.
The High Court on February 14 asked the government to explain the legality of the customary laws and usages of Dayabhaga school of thought of Hindu religion as far as they relate to depriving females of inheriting property of deceased father vis-a-vis male heirs or descendants.
The HC issued the ruling after hearing a writ petition filed by businessperson Ananya Das Gupta, daughter of One Bank Limited former vice-chair Asoke Das Gupta.
The bench on February 23 allowed the prayers of the right bodies—Manusher Jonno Foundation, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, Ain o Salish Kendra, Mahila Parishad and Naripokkho—to be interveners in the case.
The five bodies earlier in March 2021 submitted to the law ministry a proposed Hindu Inheritance Bill seeking an equal right to inheritance for the heirs irrespective of gender.
Lawyer Khirul Alam Chowdhury appeared for the writ petition while senior lawyer Sara Hossain represented the rights bodies.