Transparency in trial, protection of rights

Civil society members yesterday said the government should prove its neutrality in netting people and ensure that nobody is harassed for unjustified reasons.
Prof Muzaffer Ahmad, an eminent economist, said the caretaker government should show its neutrality by taking necessary measures against the people whose activities are still under public suspicion.
The government also must establish that law all are equal in the eyes of law, Muzaffer said in a reaction to the arrest of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and her son Arafat Rahman Koko.
He said such high profile arrests must be backed by adequate evidence. "Otherwise it may bring danger in future," Muzaffer told The Daily Star and added that he thought that the government has enough documents to prove allegations against Khaleda Zia and her son.
Muzaffer also said due legal procedures must be followed during Khaleda's trial.
ASM Shahjahan, former adviser of a caretaker government, said the government should do everything to establish the rule of law, but at the same time ensure that fundamental rights of all are protected.
"The persons arrested must be entitled to protection of law," the former adviser said adding that the government should see that the trial process is followed according to law and the constitution and in a transparent way.
Another former adviser to a caretaker government, M Hafizuddin Khan, said "Nobody is above law, but due legal procedures and transparency must be followed in all cases."
A former vice chancellor of Dhaka University (DU) Moniruzzaman Mia said it will not be right to make comment on a matter that is sub judice.
"We should now wait for the judgement. It is only after the pronouncement of judgement that we can make comment on how convincing the evidence of corruption was against her," Moniruzzaman told The Daily Star.
Another former DU vice chancellor, Emajuddin Ahmed, declined to make any comment on Khaleda's arrest.