'Cancel system of appointing last retired CJ as chief adviser'

Pro-BNP leaders of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) yesterday demanded the government cancel the system of appointing the last retired chief justice as the chief adviser to caretaker government.
The apex court has been brought under politics through the 13th amendment to the constitution, which introduced the provision, said SCBA president Khandker Mahbub Hossain at a press conference in his SCBA office.
He also protested the supersession of two senior judges of the Appellate Division through appointing Justice ABM Khairul Haque as the next chief justice.
The two judges he mentioned superseded are Justice MA Matin and Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman.
Mahbub Hossain said the SCBA is not against Justice ABM Khairul's appointment, but the provision itself. They apprehend that the government has a political intention to make Khairul Haque the chief adviser of the next caretaker government.
Justice Khairul Haque would make a controversial chief adviser to the caretaker government as he had delivered some controversial judgements against BNP, he alleged.
Awami League had launched a movement against former chief justice KM Hasan, as he was once an international affairs secretary of BNP, said Mahbub Hossain, adding that Khairul Haque would be more controversial if he is made the chief of the caretaker government.
He said all the retired chief justices appointed as the chief adviser to the caretaker government have been controversial.
The judges of the Supreme Court have the ambition of becoming chief adviser of a caretaker government and work in favour of the ruling section due to this provision, he alleged.
The SCBA president said the 13th amendment to the constitution was made in 1991 considering the prevalent political situation, but the provision brought the Supreme Court in politics.
He hoped that the government would appoint Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman as the chief justice after Justice Khairul Haque's retirement on May 18, 2011. Justice Mominur Rahman will retire on November 11, 2011.
SCBA secretary Badruddoza Badal also spoke at the press conference.