SC extends stay order on craft instructors’ promotion

The Supreme Court today extended its chamber judge's order that on April 20 stayed a High Court verdict directing the government to give promotion to craft instructors to the post of junior instructors.

Polytechnic students earlier waged a movement for several demands, including the cancellation of the HC verdict.

Today, the Appellate Division of the SC also allowed the government to move an appeal before it challenging the HC judgment.

A three-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, passed the order following a leave to appeal petition filed by the director general of the Directorate of Technical Education on April 15 against the HC verdict.

The SC's stay order on the HC judgement will continue till disposal of the appeal, Advocate Mohammad Rafiul Islam, a lawyer for the Directorate of Technical Education, told The Daily Star

Last year, craft instructor Ashik Miah and several others filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the legality of the relevant recruitment rules under the Directorate of Technical Education and the institutions under the Directorate.

Following the petition, the HC on March 18 ordered the authorities concerned of the government to keep some posts in government institutions for the writ petitioners (craft instructors).

The HC also said that if there is no post, they should be promoted to the post of junior Instructor in any way, subject to qualification.

Additional Attorney General Md Arshadur Rouf represented the state, while Advocate Mohammad Rafiul Islam stood for the Directorate of Technical Education and Advocate Zainul Abedin, Barrister Salahuddin Dolon and Barrister Kayser Kamal represented the writ petitioners.