Dhaka, Nov. 20 -- The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has described the verdict issued by former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque, which scrapped the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, as "tainted".

It made the remark on Thursday while delivering its ruling that declared the earlier verdict invalid and reinstated the non-partisan caretaker government system for election periods.

A full seven-member bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed delivered the judgement.

Although this ruling automatically restores the caretaker government system to the constitution, the upcoming general elections will be held under the interim government, lawyers said.

The caretaker administration system will take effect from the 14th parliamen...