Don't give too much power to executive magistrates

Fearing the misuse of power, Vice Chairman Khandker Mahbub Hossain of Bangladesh Bar Council, the licensing authority for lawyers, yesterday urged the government not to increase the power of executive magistrate-led mobile courts.

“Otherwise, the spirit of separating the judiciary from the executive will be hampered,” he told a press conference in the council's auditorium.

The government recently endorsed an amendment to the Mobile Court Act 2009, empowering executive magistrates to penalise wrongdoers even if they do not confess to their crimes.

“It will go against justice,” Mahbub said. “The common people would be harassed by the mobile courts run by the politically-swayed executive magistrates.” If necessary, thepower to punish offenders can be given to judicial magistrates, the pro-BNP lawyer suggested.

Khandker Mahbub also said that without public support, the present government was trying to amend the Mobile Court Act further to increase the power of the administration, as it was dependent on the executive.

The council's members AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Sanaullah Mia were also present.