BNP slams Hasina’s statement

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has criticised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s statement about Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, arguing it has pushed the judiciary and the executive, the two main organs of the state, into confrontation. The party termed the Premier’s statement that the CJ wants to snatch state power as “unwarranted” and an instance of “direct interference” in the affairs of the judiciary.

In an instant reaction to the Premier’s statement, the BNP leaders advised the ruling Awami League (AL) to take the opportunity to file a review petition if it feels aggrieved with the judgment of the Appellate Division that scrapped the 16th amendment to the Constitution.

BNP standing committee member, Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, said the PM, through her statement, has directly brought the judiciary and the executive face-to-face. He suggested to the ruling party leaders to take the opportunity to file a review against the judgment if they feel aggrieved with the verdict.

“We are really concerned over the ruling party’s move and the statements of its leaders. We don’t know why the Awami League leaders and government are making such kinds of statements,” he said.

The former minister said, in actual sense, the present Parliament has no legitimacy, since it is not an elected one. The Premier’s statement about the Chief Justice is regrettable, he added. It would not do any good to the country, he argued.

BNP vice-chairman advocate Zainul Abedin said the PM’s statement about the CJ is a direct interference with the judiciary. “Indeed, the government wants to keep the higher judiciary under pressure by bringing the lower court under its control,” he said.

Abedin, who is also the president of the Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association, termed the Prime Minister’s statement unwarranted. He said, if the ruling Awami League is aggrieved, it has the jurisdiction to file a review petition in line with Article 103 of the Constitution.

While speaking at a rally after placing wreaths at a makeshift memorial to the martyrs of the gruesome grenade attack on August 21, 2004 on Bangabandhu Avenue at Krishibid Institution, Bangladesh (KIB), the Prime Minister came down heavily on the Chief Justice for comparing Bangladesh with Pakistan.

The PM said she was not at all scared by such a threat, but added that this was not tolerable either. “It is very much disgraceful that Bangladesh has been compared with Pakistan (in the judgment), this is not tolerable at all. We can tolerate anything, but comparing [Bangladesh] with Pakistan? This is not tolerable at all,” she added.

 

BNP slams Hasinas statement

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has criticised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas statement about Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, arguing it has pushed the judiciary and the executive, the two main organs of the state, into confrontation. The party termed the Premiers statement that the CJ wants to snatch state power as unwarranted and an instance of direct interference in the affairs of the judiciary. In an instant reaction to the Premiers statement, the BNP leaders advised the ruling Awami League (AL) to take the opportunity to file a review petition if it feels aggrieved with the judgment of the Appellate Division that scrapped the 16th amendment to the Constitution. BNP standing committee member, Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, said the PM, through her statement, has directly brought the judiciary and the executive face-to-face. He suggested to the ruling party leaders to take the opportunity to file a review against the judgment if they feel aggrieved with the verdict. We are really concerned over the ruling partys move and the statements of its leaders. We dont know why the Awami League leaders and government are making such kinds of statements, he said. The former minister said, in actual sense, the present Parliament has no legitimacy, since it is not an elected one. The Premiers statement about the Chief Justice is regrettable, he added. It would not do any good to the country, he argued. BNP vice-chairman advocate Zainul Abedin said the PMs statement about the CJ is a direct interference with the judiciary. Indeed, the government wants to keep the higher judiciary under pressure by bringing the lower court under its control, he said. Abedin, who is also the president of the Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association, termed the Prime Ministers statement unwarranted. He said, if the ruling Awami League is aggrieved, it has the jurisdiction to file a review petition in line with Article 103 of the Constitution. While speaking at a rally after placing wreaths at a makeshift memorial to the martyrs of the gruesome grenade attack on August 21, 2004 on Bangabandhu Avenue at Krishibid Institution, Bangladesh (KIB), the Prime Minister came down heavily on the Chief Justice for comparing Bangladesh with Pakistan. The PM said she was not at all scared by such a threat, but added that this was not tolerable either. It is very much disgraceful that Bangladesh has been compared with Pakistan (in the judgment), this is not tolerable at all. We can tolerate anything, but comparing [Bangladesh] with Pakistan? This is not tolerable at all, she added.