Lawyer and Jamaat-e-Islami central executive council member Shishir Manir has described the government’s move to abolish the Supreme Court Secretariat and place judges under the Law Ministry as “a slap in the face” of judicial independence.
Speaking at a press conference at Jamaat’s Moghbazar central office in Dhaka today, he said the abolition of the judicial secretariat had blocked the path to an independent judiciary and undermined public confidence in the justice system.
On Tuesday, a gazette notification issued by the law ministry reassigned 15 judicial service officials and judges working under the now-defunct Supreme Court Secretariat back to the ministry.
Shishir further said various initiatives had been taken since independence to ensure judicial independence, though they remained largely unimplemented for years.
“We have no objection to judicial independence regardless of who benefits from a verdict. But transferring judges, denying promotions or sending them to remote districts cannot be the character of an independent judiciary,” he added.
The Jamaat leader said powers relating to judges’ transfers, leave, promotions and discipline should remain entirely under the Supreme Court to ensure judicial independence.
The press conference was moderated by Jamaat Assistant Secretary General and head of its publicity department Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair. Assistant Secretary General AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, executive council member Mobarak Hossain and Dhaka North publicity and media secretary Ataur Rahman Sarkar were also present.
FP/MI
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