AL to separate judiciary, if voted to power: Jalil
"We are committed to the separation of the judiciary to ensure justice and security of the people," he said at a seminar in the city.
The BNP-Jamaat alliance government has undermined the rule of law through politicisation of the judiciary, he said.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The AL organised the seminar titled 'Questionable judiciary system: Threatened rule of law' at the National Press Club.
Vice-chairman of Bangladesh Bar Council Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud presented a keynote paper while AL presidium member Suranjit Sengupta presided over the seminar.
In his keynote paper, Barrister Rokanuddin criticised the government for dilly-dallying in separating the judiciary.
The alliance government has appointed judges on political considerations to use the judiciary for political purposes, he said.
He also condemned the extra-judicial killings in the name of 'crossfire' and 'Operation clean-heart'. There is no rule of law in the country now, he added.
Referring to 16 High Court judges, Barrister Rokanuddin said the alliance government did not confirm their appointments, as they were appointed during the previous AL rule.
Barrister Amir-Ul Islam said the government has put the judiciary into question by politicising it.
Referring to the recent countrywide blasts, he said the militants, harboured by the coalition government, have been trying to destroy the judiciary system. He also urged all to resist the governments' move to make the judiciary ineffective.
AL presidium member Tofail Ahmed said the BNP-Jamaat government has been using the Speedy Trial Act for their political interest. "Thousands of opposition leaders and workers have been harassed under the act," he pointed out.
Justice KM Sobhan said the rule of law has been crippled since the martial law in 1975. "Those who kicked the door of the chief justice are now ministers," he said.
Suranjit Sengupta urged the Supreme Court to play a bold role against the government's move to politicise the judiciary.
Former law minister Advocate Abdul Matin Khasru said how the countrymen would get justice if a justice feels embarrassment to hear a case.
Pointing an accusing finger at the ruling alliance, President of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) Hasanul Haq Inu said those who broke the laws should not be allowed to sit in the Jatiya Sangsad.
He urged the AL leaders to make a commitment to cancel Special Powers Act and indemnity ordinance, amend the Section 167 regarding the remand and ban Jamaa-Shibir politics if they are voted to power again.
Supreme Court Bar Association President Advocate Mahbubey Alam and Advocate Abdul Baset Majumder also spoke.