16th Amendment Verdict: LGRD minister for review of observations
LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain yesterday urged the apex court to review the “unexpected observations” in the verdict in the 16th amendment case.
“With great sadness, I have to say that the chief justice made many unconstitutional and immoral comments in the judgment. Please, review the unexpected observations in the verdict,” he said at a public rally in Madaripur's Shibchar area.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. “It's not possible to conduct judicial proceedings by hurting people's sentiment. If the people of a country face a crisis of faith regarding the judicial system, that country would be in grave danger,” he noted.
The minister said the chief justice had shown the audacity to insult Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the judgment.
“We most humbly and respectfully request you [Supreme Court judges] to review the unexpected issues in the verdict, as the people of Bangladesh don't want the judiciary to be harmed. The judiciary is people's last resort,” said Mosharraf.
The LGRD minister also urged people to allow the Sheikh Hasina-led government to stay in power for two more terms for the development process to continue.
Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury, lawmaker from Madaripur-1, also spoke there. Earlier, the minister inaugurated a road named after Sheikh Hasina in Shibchar.
On Thursday, Law Minister Anisul Huq said the grounds on which the Supreme Court scrapped the 16th amendment to the constitution are unacceptable to the government.
He also claimed that the chief justice made derogatory comments on parliament and undermined it in the SC judgment.
“We have decided to make a move to get expunged the objectionable and irrelevant statements made by the chief justice in the judgment,” he mentioned. The law minister came up with the government's formal reaction to the scrapping of the 16th amendment 10 days after the release of the full verdict.
Earlier on August 7, more than a dozen senior ministers criticised the SC judgment at the weekly cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. The PM directed them to build public opinion against the “objectionable and irrelevant comments” in the verdict, according to meeting sources.
Yesterday, Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, a pro-BNP lawyers' platform, demanded resignation and arrest of Law Commission Chairman ABM Khairul Haque for his comments on the verdict in the 16th amendment case and “breach of the code of conduct by holding a press conference”.
The platform decided to hold protest programmes at all bars across the country tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday to press home its demand.
Mahbub Uddin Khokon, secretary general of the forum, made the announcement at a press conference at the BNP's Nayapaltan office in the capital.
The forum also demanded that the government publish a gazette notification on disciplinary rules for lower court judges.
Khokon, also joint secretary general of the BNP, said, “I am urging the lawyers, who believe in the rule of law, the constitution and democracy, to participate in the programmes.”
He noted, “As the Law Commission chairman, he [Khairul] has to follow the code of conduct. He cannot hold any press conference. But he breached the code of conduct by holding a press conference.
“That is why the forum is demanding his resignation and arrest,” Khokon added.
Meanwhile, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday said it seemed that the BNP was thinking it reached close to power following the SC verdict.
“We have to stay ready. We have to fend off this evil force. We have to tackle their conspiracy taking people with us,” Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, told a meeting organised by Awami Swechchhasebak League on the occasion of the National Mourning Day in the capital's Dhanmondi.
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