Dhaka: The High Court on Monday issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the provision of refraining MPs from electioneering in the municipal election should not be declared illegal.

An HC bench comprising Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice AKM Shahidul Huq passed the order following a petition.

The Election Commission, secretaries of the Election Commission, Law Ministry, Local Government and Rural Development Ministry, Parliament Secretariat and eight others made respondents to the rule which is returnable in four weeks.

Advocates Nurul Islam Sujon, Mahfuz-ul Alam Munna and Rashedul Islam stood for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Shashank Shekhar Sarkar represented the state.

The Election Commission issued municipal (election code of conduct rules 2015) on 23 November 2015. As per the rule-2, rule-22 and sub rule-12 of the election code of conduct the Members of Parliament (MPs) will not be allowed to take part in the electioneering in the municipal election.

On 17 January, AK Nurunnabi, a Supreme Court lawyer and a voter of Panchagarh municipality, filed a writ petition challenging legality of the three rules.