Jatiya Sangsad on Wednesday resolved to take appropriate legal steps for the cancellation of the Supreme Court verdict that scrapped the 16th amendment to the constitution that had empowered parliament to remove Supreme Court judges.
The parliament unanimously adopted the motion moved by Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal faction lawmaker Mayeenuddin Khan Badal following a general discussion of a matter of general public interest.
The resolution said that parliament resolved that appropriate legal steps be taken for the cancellation the declaration of the 16th amendment to constitution as “ultra vires” and unconstitutional, objectionable and irrelevant observations made by the chief justice about parliament and other important issues in the verdict in the 16th amendment case.
The resolution was adopted by voice vote about 11:30pm after the general discussion for more than five hours.
Taking part in the discussion, prime minister Sheikh Hasina, law minister Anisul Huq, commerce minister Tofail Ahmed, agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury, senior Awami League lawmaker Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozzamel Huq Jatiya Party leader Raushan Ershad and other lawmakers alleged that in the verdict the chief justice made irrelevant political comments derogatory to parliament and the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
They claimed that such irrelevant comment were made out of context on particular purposes and reasons very much known to them.
Anisul said that the government were already working on taking such legal actions sought in the resolution and the verdict would not go without appropriate legal challenge.
Sheikh Hasina said that the constitution did not empower the apex court to amend the constitution or make laws.
She said that there were so many contradictions in the verdict.
‘This verdict is acceptable to none,’ she said, supporting the motion.
Asking who wrote this judgement and from where, Hasina said that the chief justice made comments on Sheikh Mujib similar to the comments made by Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat , ‘who do not believe in the independence.’
Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon said that the verdict was politically motivated.
The lawmakers came down heavily on the chief justice for his observations and some attacked personally.
Industry minister Amir Hossain Amu, deputy speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah, AL lawmaker Dipu Moni, water resources minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, state minister for labour Mujibul Haque Chunnu, AL lawmakers Fazilatun Nasa Bappy and Tahzib Alam Sddique, among others, took part in the discussion.
Source: New Age