PM's remarks to influence trial
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's allegations that the BNP chief and her elder son were involved in the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in 2004 will influence the ongoing trial, President of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Khandker Mahbub Hossain said yesterday.
“It's a sub judice matter," he told a discussion, "The proposed 16th amendment bill and basic rights," at the capital's Jatiya Press Club, organised by Bangladesh Republican Forum.
Mahbub, also an adviser to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, said, "The prime minister has levelled such allegations with an aim to hide the real accused.”
Sheikh Hasina remarked on Thursday, “While Zia (late president Ziaur Rahman) was involved in the August 15, 1975 assassination, then premier Khaleda Zia, her son [Tarique Rahman] and her cabinet members were directly involved in the August 21 incident.”
The August 21 attack killed 24 AL leaders and activists and injured over 300 people. Then opposition leader Hasina narrowly escaped the assassination attempt.
Turning to the government's move to bring back parliament's authority to impeach Supreme Court judges by bringing the 16th amendment to the constitution, Mahbub said the government wanted to establish its control over judges.
“Although the Sheikh Hasina government has totally politicised the judiciary, it is still in fear there might be honest judges, who might hold fair trials.”
The SCBA chief said, “Whenever the Awami League takes office, they snatch people's basic rights, curb freedom of the press, and destroy the rule of law.”
He called upon all to protect the independence of the judiciary, which he said was necessary to protect democracy.
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