CJ's remark rattles govt's foundation

Senior BNP leader Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman yesterday lauded the recent remark of Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha on signing and writing judgements after retirement, saying it shook the government's foundation like an earthquake.

“We welcome the Chief Justice's comment as he spoke the truth with courage,” he told a discussion organised by pro-BNP platform Zia Nagorik Forum in the capital's Jatiya Press Club marking BNP founder Ziaur Rahman's birthday.

In a message on January 19 marking the first anniversary of his taking office as the 21st chief justice, Surendra Kumar Sinha said some judges make unusual delays in writing verdicts while others continue to write it even long after their retirement, which goes against the law and the constitution.

BNP brought this up several times afterwards, saying it proved illegal the judgement revoking the 13th constitutional amendment, which had instated the caretaker government system, along with the 15th constitutional amendment, which annulled the system.

The party reasoned that the then Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque wrote and signed the judgement 16 months after going on retirement and the 15th amendment was based on the judgement.

Mahbub, a BNP standing committee member, also claimed that the government, coming to power through the 10th parliamentary polls and 15th constitutional amendment, has also turned illegal and void.

Mahbub said there has been a conspiracy for a long time to split BNP but no one would be able to do so if its workers follow the ideals of Ziaur Rahman.