Dhaka, March 3 -- The High Court has questioned why the president's power to pardon convicted individuals without a clear policy framework should not be considered illegal and unconstitutional.

The bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Debashish Roy Chowdhury issued the rule after a hearing on a writ petition related to the matter on Monday.

The petition was presented by lawyer Ishrat Hasan, who was assisted by lawyers Rashidul Hasan, Tanzila Rahman, and Ifat Hasan Shammi. Deputy Attorney General Mohsin Kabir Roky represented the state.

Lawyer Ishrat Hasan, who presented the writ petition, said that the rule calls for an explanation as to why a directive should not be issued to establish guidelines for the president's power to grant pardon...