Report in The daily star, Aug 14, 2017
The BNP yesterday alleged that the government was putting pressure on the chief justice over the Supreme Court verdict that scrapped the 16th amendment to the constitution.
The party also expressed concern over media reports that ruling Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader had a meeting with Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha at the latter’s residence on Saturday night.
“You [the government] are mounting pressure on the chief justice; you are saying publicly to change the verdict,” said Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of the BNP.
Speaking at a milad mahfil organised by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters, the BNP leader said, “We don’t know what the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division will do and what the chief justice will do. People of Bangladesh will not accept your [government] unjust acts.”
Regarding media reports on Quader’s meeting, Fakhrul said, “After the working committee meeting of the Awami League, Mr Quader went to the chief justice’s house.”
Mentioning that AL leaders criticised the chief justice, he said, “We are sorry, ashamed and shocked … what sort of conspiracy is hatching again to destroy democracy?”
The BNP leader urged the government and the ruling party men not to put any pressure on the judiciary. “Come to the right path. Don’t destroy the institutions of democracy.”
Fakhrul also called upon BNP leaders and activists to unite to put up strong resistance against the current “autocratic regime”.
In another programme, BNP Standing Committee Member Moudud Ahmed said the government has declared a war against the SC verdict on the 16th amendment to the constitution.
He also demanded resignation of Law Commission Chairman Justice ABM Khairul Haque, also a former chief justice, for his comments on the 16th amendment verdict.
“It is your [government] duty to ensure independence of the judiciary. But the way you are reacting; it seems that you have announced war against independence of the judiciary. But you would not be the winner and the consequences would be dreadful and would expedite your stepping down,” he said.
Addressing a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club yesterday, the former law minister also said it seemed that the AL leaders want to undermine the judiciary and its independence.
Criticising Justice Khairul, Moudud alleged that he was acting as a spokesperson for the government and he did the same when he was the chief justice.
He said Justice Khairul could not issue statement on the 16th amendment verdict, and his statement was a violation of his job’s code of conduct.http://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/govt-mounting-pressure-cj-1448248
AL, allies to ‘face it legally, politically’: Report in The daily star, Aug 14, 2017
The ruling Awami League-led 14-party alliance yesterday termed the Supreme Court verdict on the 16th amendment “irrelevant”, “unacceptable” and “ill-motivated” and said they would face it legally and politically.The ruling alliance also demanded reconsideration of the verdict as well as cancellation of its observations regarding parliament, the Liberation War and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Awami League leader Mohammed Nasim, MP, the 14-party spokesperson, came up with the alliance’s stance on the verdict after a meeting with the allies. Samyabadi Dal General Secretary Dilip Barua chaired the meeting held at the AL president’s Dhanmondi office yesterday afternoon.
Passed in 2014, the 16th amendment restored parliament’s powers to remove SC judges for misconduct or incapacity.
The High Court last year declared the amendment “illegal”, which was upheld by the SC on July 3 this year. The apex court released the full verdict on August 1.
Since then, the ruling AL has been criticising the verdict, while the BNP has been praising its observations.
Talking to reporters after yesterday’s meeting, Nasim, also health minister and AL presidium member, said people would never accept the observations regarding Bangabandhu and the Liberation War and demanded reconsideration of the verdict.
“We are aggrieved by the judgment,” he added.
Dilip Barua said the verdict had undermined the Jatiya Sangsad. “I don’t know where the chief justice was during the Liberation War. He had showed audacity as he has no knowledge of the Liberation War. He has given the BNP-Jamaat alliance an opportunity to hatch conspiracy … ,” he observed.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JDS-faction) President Hasanul Haq Inu termed the verdict’s observations “extrajudicial”, “irrelevant”, “ill-motivated” and “biased” and said they had never expected such observations.
“The observations have undermined the Liberation War and Bangabandhu and those who are welcoming the verdict are acutely polluting politics,” he said.
Inu, who also holds the information portfolio, said the verdict was not acceptable and demanded annulment of the observations and review of the verdict.
Workers Party General Secretary Fazley Hossain Badsha demanded a review of the verdict, while Jatiya Party (JP-Manju) General Secretary Sheikh Shahidul Islam said the entire nation was aggrieved by the verdict.
AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif rejected the verdict terming it “anti-constitutional”.
“This verdict has given a scope to the BNP to do dirty politics and encouraged the anti-liberation forces,” he observed.
QUADER TO MEET CJ AGAIN: Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday said he would meet Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha again to discuss the observations made in the 16th amendment verdict.
“I had a long meeting with the chief justice. I will do the same again, as discussion with him is not over yet,” said Quader, also road transport and bridges minister.
He was addressing a programme marking Sheikh Kamal’s birth anniversary in the city.
The minister said he went to the chief justice’s residence on Saturday night and talked about the observations in the verdict.
“My party’s stance over the observations has been conveyed to the chief justice. I don’t want to make any comment before the discussion is over,” he said, adding that people would know about it all at an appropriate time.
The meeting between Quader and the chief justice lasted over two hours. It took place at a time when several ministers and ruling party leaders have been criticising the Supreme Court verdict that scrapped the 16th amendment to the constitution. http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/al-allies-face-it-legally-politically-1448371
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