The Appellate Division has ordered the reinstatement of 85 Upazila election officers who were dismissed in 2007, directing that they be given all associated benefits. Additionally, the families of three officers who passed away during the legal proceedings will also receive the benefits.

The verdict was delivered on Tuesday by a five-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed.

Earlier, on February 20, the court scheduled today’s ruling after hearing separate petitions regarding the reinstatement of the dismissed officers. Senior lawyer Salah Uddin Dolon represented the appellants, while senior lawyers Prabir Niyogi and Md. Ruhul Kuddus argued in favor of the administrative tribunal’s review decision. Additional Attorney General Anik R. Haque represented the state, and Mohammad Khalequzzaman Bhuiyan appeared for the Election Commission (EC).

According to case details, on September 3, 2005, the Public Service Commission (PSC) appointed 327 individuals as Upazila election officers on a temporary basis. However, the recruitment process became controversial during the BNP-Jamaat coalition government. In response, the caretaker government in 2007 conducted an evaluation test for these officers, ultimately dismissing 85 of them on September 3 that year.

Challenging their dismissal, the affected officers filed a case, but on March 23, 2009, the Administrative Tribunal rejected their claim. They then appealed, and on April 12, 2010, the Administrative Appellate Tribunal ruled in their favor, ordering reinstatement.

In response, the state filed four separate leave-to-appeal petitions. On April 29, 2010, the Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division stayed the tribunal’s verdict and referred the matter to a regular bench. The government later filed separate appeals in 2011.

On September 1, 2022, the Appellate Division overturned the Administrative Appellate Tribunal’s decision, effectively blocking their reinstatement. Subsequently, in 2023, the dismissed officers filed a review petition against this verdict. Following a hearing yesterday, the court set today as the date for delivering the final judgment, resulting in their reinstatement.