Dhaka: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday ordered to reinstate 140 doctors of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), whose appointments were pronounced illegal by the High Court earlier on 14 December, 2010.

A five-member bench headed by the Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order this morning after hearing five separate appeals filed by the doctors.

The court also ordered the BSMMU authorities to consider the years when the doctors remained out of service, as their leave without pay.

Earlier on 17 May, the Appellate Division set 21 May to pronounce its judgment over the appointments.

Senior jurists Dr Kamal Hossain, M Amir Ul Islam and Kamrul Haque Siddiqui moved the case for the doctors, whereas Mahbubey Alam and Tanjib Ul Alam stood for BSMMU.

According to the case documents, the doctors were appointed from December, 2005 to January, 2006.

Swadhinata Chikitsok Parishad (Swachip) incumbent president Dr Iqbal Arslan later filed an appeal, challenging the appointment of these doctors.

The High Court on 14 December, 2010, declared their appointment illegal, making the doctors to file a leave to appeal petition.

On 4 September, 2016, the SC allowed the doctors to appeal against the High Court verdict. After that the doctors filed those five appeals.