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Ruling on Quick Rental Indemnity Clause Scheduled for November 14

Rtv News

  07 Nov 2024, 18:41
Photo: Collected

The hearing has concluded on a rule questioning the legality of provisions in the Quick Rental Act—specifically, whether actions under the "Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special Provisions) Act 2010" can be challenged in court and if a minister can solely decide on procurement matters. The court has set November 14 as the date for the verdict.

On Thursday, November 7, the High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury issued this order, marking November 14 for the verdict announcement.

Attorney Dr. Shahdeen Malik represented the petitioners during Thursday’s hearing.

Earlier, Supreme Court lawyers Shahdeen Malik and Taiyebul Islam Sourav filed a petition challenging the validity of Sections 6(2) and 9 of the act.

During the petition filing on September 2, Shahdeen Malik commented that the Quick Rental Act, as it is commonly known, allows for procurement without a tender process, granting unilateral authority to the minister to award contracts. Malik argued that such singular authority is not acceptable in a civilized state and that no law should eliminate judicial oversight.

The rule issued by the court asked why Sections 6(2) and 9 of the act should not be deemed beyond legal authority.

The secretaries of the Legislative Drafting Wing of the Ministry of Law, Finance Division, and Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Ministry, along with the chairpersons of Petrobangla and the Power Development Board, were directed to respond to the rule.

The hearing on the rule concluded on Thursday.

Section 9 of the "Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special Provisions) Act 2010" states: “No question regarding the legality of any action, measure, order, or instruction made under this Act shall be raised in any court.”

Section 6(2) states: “Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), upon obtaining consent from the minister responsible for the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, any purchase, investment plan, or proposal mentioned in Section 5 may be nominated for execution through limited or single-source negotiation and sent to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs or Public Procurement following the procedures outlined in Section 7.”

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