Editorial
Tampered mark sheet, tainted image
A sad day for the judiciary
Of all the organs of the government and the state the judiciary is one that is held highest in public esteem in Bangladesh. It is considered as the last resort of individuals seeking personal redress as well as of the nation in times of national crises. One such instance was when the Chief Justice was appointed head of the Caretaker Government to conduct a fair and impartial election. In the eyes of the common man the judiciary occupied a very high pedestal. But the alleged tampering with the exam mark sheet by a recently appointed additional judge of the High Court, being reflective of lack of integrity, has sullied the image of our judiciary and tainted the lawyers' profession. We recall with dismay the removal from office of an Additional Judge of the Supreme Court High Court Division in April this year for gross misconduct Interestingly, the incident of the alleged tampering has come to light after almost fifteen years of the said person's induction into the Bar. Why has it taken so long for this dishonorable act to come to light? The onus of ascertaining the authenticity of a person's educational and other relevant documents is that of the appointing authority. Can the Bar Council that inducted the lawyer absolve itself of the responsibility of failing to check on his credentials? It seems that the act of interpolation of mark sheets is not unique to this instance only. As many as 111 such cases of mark sheet tampering have come to the spotlight in seven law colleges under Chittagong University. And several practicing lawyers of Comilla bar have found their names in the dubious mark sheet-tampering list. It would be wrong to see the issue as being a matter between pro and anti government members of the Bar Council. The fact is that the issue has undermined the credibility of the highest judiciary. The Supreme Court and the High Court are the institutions of the last resort and their credibility is due as much to the sagacity of their judgements as to the personal integrity of the judges. It was time the relevant authorities did some soul searching and considered seriously the need for reviewing the entire process of judicial selection and appointment. This has to be done soon if the judiciary and the country are to be spared any such embarrassment in the future.
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