The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday upheld the High Court order that declared illegal the government’s suspension of Rajshahi city mayor Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul.

A three-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha passed the order rejecting the leave-to-appeal petition filed by the state lawyers, reports UNB.

Advocates Aminul Haque Helal, Abdul Based Majumdar and AF Hasan Arif argued for RCC mayor Bulbul while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state.

Talking to reporters, advocate Helal said that following the Supreme Court ruling, there is no legal bar to restoring Bulbul to the post of mayor.

On May 7, 2015, the government suspended BNP-supported Mayor Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul as he was charged with criminal offences. 

On March 10 last year, the High Court declared illegal the government order suspending Rajshahi city mayor Bulbul after he filed a writ petition challenging the order.

Later, the government filed the leave-to-appeal petition against the HC order.