The High Court today cleared the way for holding the by-election to Lakshmipur-2 constituency, where Mohammad Shahid Islam known as Kazi Papul had been elected as an independent lawmaker, on June 21.

The court summarily rejected a writ petition filed by BNP leader and former lawmaker Abul Khair Bhuiyan challenging legality of decisions for announcing the constituency vacant and the schedule for holding a by-election to it on June 21.

The bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah came up with the order after hearing arguments from Attorney General AM Amin Uddin and the petitioners' lawyers AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon.

The court passed the order on the grounds that there is no legal bar for holding by-election to a constituency if any election petition regarding a previous election of the same constituency is pending with this court.

On February 22, the parliament secretariat issued a gazette notification announcing that the Lakshmipur-2 constituency fell vacant because of Kazi Papul's moral turpitude.

A Kuwaiti court on January 28 sentenced Kazi Papul and four others to four years in jail in a bribery case.