Chief justice threatened prime minister: AL lawyers

Pro-Awami League lawyers at a human chain in front of the Supreme Court Bar Association office on the SC premises in the capital on Tuesday. Photo: Prothom Alo
Pro-Awami League lawyers at a human chain in front of the Supreme Court Bar Association office on the SC premises in the capital on Tuesday. Photo: Prothom Alo

Pro-Awami League lawyers on Tuesday asked the chief justice, Surendra Kumar Sinha, to resign and also asked him to scrap the Supreme Court verdict that annulled the 16th constitutional amendment.

The pro-ruling party lawyers made the call at a human chain formed in front of the Supreme Court Bar Association office on the SC premises in the capital.

Speaking at the programme, ruling AL MP Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh alleged that the chief justice sitting in the bench of court threatened the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.

“The chief justice said he can remove the prime minister like Pakistan. Threatening prime minister by the chief justice sitting in the bench of court is unprecedented. It’s tantamount to breaching the oath of office,” alleged the ruling party lawmaker.

“He [chief justice] tried to question the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He disparaged parliament. He criticised our woman MPs. He mentioned in the verdict that he is a servant of nobody. He is not an official of the state. He himself is a master. We strongly condemned it.”

Speaking on the occasion, other pro-AL lawyers demanded resignation of the chief justice after the scrapping of the 16th amendment annulment verdict.

During a hearing on 20 August, chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha warned that the judiciary has been patient enough, referring to a Pakistan Supreme Court order which removed that country’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif a couple of weeks ago.

The chief justice remarks came on the heels of the 16th amendment annulment verdict that sparked a huge outcry in the ruling quarter.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina herself on Monday said she is not scared of any threat and warned against comparing Bangladesh’s situation with that of Pakistan.

Source: Prothom Alo