The High Court will now rehear the 2010 writ petition that had sought its directives on the government for strict enforcement of the House Rent Control Act to prevent the capital's house owners from raising rents arbitrarily.

The bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Salim may start rehearing on the petition, which was filed as public interest litigation in April 2010, this week, petitioner’s lawyer Advocate Manzill Murshid told The Daily Star today.

He said Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah, who is performing functions of the chief justice, has recently assigned the bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Salim for holding hearing of the petition.

Justice Wahhab has done this as Justice Mohammad Bazlur Rahman, who had earlier heard the same petition and delivered a verdict on the petition, died on January 1 last year.

Justice Bazlur Rahman, who was promoted as a judge of the Appellate Division, could not complete writing the full judgment, he said.