Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque is going on retirement next week. His retirement will mark the end of, in fellow blogger tacitaerno’s words, a reign of constitutional terror.
With his retirement, Justice Mojammel Hossain will be the new chief justice. Justice Haque could become chief justice and now he is being followed by Justice Mojammel Hossain only because both of them have proven their utmost loyalty to current ruling party and it’s leader. Both of them superseded Justice Shah Nayeem to become chief justices.
Below is a video montage of comments of different sort of legal professionals on the state of Bangladesh judiciary.
Will start with comments of a leading Supreme Court Lawyer Barrister Sara Hossain,
Asif Nazrul, a Professor of Law of Dhaka University, sees judiciary in Bangladesh from a academic point of view.
Barrister Rafiqul Huq is one of the most respected and senior most lawyers of Bangladesh. He has been the lawyer of all three living current and former heads of the state of Bangladesh. Nurul Kabir is an editor of a leading English daily and has widespread reputation of being an uncompromising editor. And this video clip shows how in a national TV they accuse that the Supreme Court Judges gave the verdict to nullify a constitutional amendment on telephone instruction from ruling party high ups.
Dr Kamal Hossain, nation’s legal-judicial icon, expresses his despair about current state of Bangladesh judiciary.
And again law professor Asif Nazrul dissects the mindlessness of the recent annulment of 13th amendment by Justice Khairul Haque led Supreme Court.
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When Justice Khairul Haque et el played with constitutional amendments like a toy and appellate division even refused to consider any appeal on a verdict nullifying one of the most important constitutional amendment; most of us kept quiet. When high court toes government line on extremely politically polarizing issues like opposition leader’s eviction and appellate division dismisses appeal without holding any hearing, most of us again remained quiet and some were ecstatic. As a result we are getting these sort of Prof Yunus or 13th amendment verdicts. People like Rafiqul Haque, Kamal Hossain or Sara Hossain make their living within the premises of Bangladesh Supreme Court. Nurul Kabir or Asif Nazrul work from within Bangladesh. If they are able to speak up in this manner on the atrocities of Bangladesh’s ultra-partisan Judiciary, rest of us has no excuse to keep quiet.
May 13, 2011 at 4:48 pm
[...] Justice ABM Khairul Haque is going on retirement next week. His retirement will mark the end of, in fellow blogger tacitaerno’s words, a reign of constitutional [...]
May 15, 2011 at 11:35 am
More than any one person, it is the severer politicization of judiciary that has been responsible for the current trend. I suppose our politicians, when in power, think they will be in power eternally; otherwise, how does it not occur to them that the monster they have created will bite them when they are in the opposition and seek justice ?
May 15, 2011 at 10:47 pm
That’s an excellent question. Think of it this way: from 1971 to 1990, the individuals who ruled BD did realistically expect to rule as long as they lived. Since then, there have been four democratically-elected government. Within the next ten years, politicians whose formative experience has been the democratic years will come to the national helm. And, I expect, they will have internalized this lesson.
May 29, 2011 at 9:32 pm
Immediate past Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque during his tenure overreached his authority and rendered Awami League political ambition as judgment that had set Bangladesh back to days of one party fascist rule.
On 21st June, 2009 then Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque gave verdict that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman announced the independence of Bangladesh. Weeks later on July 27th, 2009 Chief Justice Khairul Haque deposited a cheque from none other than Prime mister Sheikh Hasina’s relief fund at the amount of 1 million 37 thousand and 250 taka in his personal account at Sonali bank supreme court branch.
On July 27, 2009: Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque made cash withdrawal of 0.9 million taka from same personal account where PM relief fund cheque was deposited.
On July 28, 2009: Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque made cash withdrawal of 20 thousand taka from same personal account where PM relief fund cheque was deposited.
On July 28, 2009: Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque withdrew another 38 thousand and 600 taka by a pay order to another account from same personal account where PM relief fund cheque was deposited.
PM relief fund assignment officer, Monoj Kanthi Boral, who was told to be known about the cheque not to be found for comments.
Ex Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque comment was – “I have retired, leave me alone”.
Report in Bangla:
http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/05/30/84481
October 30, 2011 at 8:44 pm
We all have seen how Awami regime used judiciary repressing anyone opposing it political thinking, rule and misrule. From Constitution to Noble Laureate to nameless political activists no one spared from wrath of judicial abuse of power. “Contempt” and “Mobile court” were dubious applications of two Awami regime directed judiciary. And now they have struck in the air – that is right. A “higher judiciary” recently got an economy class ticket and then abusing power of “contempt” and “mobile court” he threatened captain and crew members to upgrade his seating to business class.
Full story from mouthpiece of less than 1% of Bangladesh population, sushil and secular media Daily Star:
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Biman’s flight delayed for altercation on plane
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Hearing the commotion, officials of Biman’s traffic department rushed to the plane and requested him to take his seat in the economy class, but he allegedly got furious and shouted out that he would convene an impromptu mobile court on the plane and send the traffic officials and the captain of the plane to jail, said some of the passengers.
He also allegedly asked the traffic department officials to make a phone call to the Biman managing director and upgrade his ticket to business class. The officials said they were not high- up enough in the official hierarchy to make phone calls to the top boss of the airliner.
At one stage of the altercation, the cockpit crews and the traffic officials tried to arrange scheduled departure of the flight, but they failed as he allegedly ordered all not to leave the aircraft and not to close the door.
He also ordered the cabin crew to go tell the captain of the flight BG 084 that the member of the higher judiciary wants to see him.
As the captain delayed coming out of the cockpit, he allegedly threatened the captain with issuance of a contempt of court charge on his return from Singapore.
Hearing about the altercation, top Biman officials rushed to the scene and immediately upgraded the ticket to business class. Finally, the Boeing 737 left for Singapore at 8:02am, 37 minutes behind schedule.
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http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=208404
June 18, 2012 at 7:04 pm
[...] dissent! Khairul Haque was a wise and scholarly judge, and it’s not their fault that some lesser minds find it hard to fathom his wisdom. But such lesser minds should not deprive the nation of the [...]