It's up to CJ to decide

The chief justice is the sole authority to make the decision about removing or keeping the statue of Greek Goddess Themis on the Supreme Court premises, Law Minister Anisul Huq has said.

"The Supreme Court premises are under the jurisdiction of the chief justice. We [the government] were not informed when the statue was installed. He [the chief justice] has to make the decision about removing or keeping it there. So far I have learnt, there are some differences of opinion about the necessity of the statue," he said.

The law minister was talking to reporters after attending an inauguration of a training of judicial officials at the Judicial Administration Training Institute (JATI) in the capital yesterday.

Anisul said the paramount consideration should be that the sanctity of the SC premises is not tarnished in any manner. 

The statue was built as the symbol of justice on the SC premises in December last year.

Islamic religious leaders, Hefajat-e Islam, Awami Olama League and Islami Andolan Bangladesh have been demanding that the authorities remove the statue from the SC premises.

Even, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on April 11 reportedly said she did not like setting up the statue of Greek Goddess Themis on the SC premises.

Yesterday, International Labour Organisation and JATI jointly organised the training on “International Labour Standard and Labour Legislation for Judges and Judicial Officers” at the conference room of JATI where 30 lower court judges attended.

State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque and Law and Justice Division Secretary ASSM Zahirul Haque, among others, spoke at the programme presided over by Justice Khondker Musa Khaled, director general of JATI.