3 hill dists to stay out of judiciary separation

Judge's court will not be introduced now in three hill districts of Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachhari even though the separation of judiciary will come into effect on November 1.
Although the judicial power of administrative officials will end through the separation of judiciary, deputy commissioners (DC) of the three hill districts will retain the post of “civil judge,” said Abdul Majid Shah Akand, DC of Bandarban, at a view-exchange meeting with the Supreme Court's Special Monitoring Team at the Circuit House.
Since there is no district judge in the three districts, the deputy commissioners concerned perform the duty of “civil judge” and an additional divisional commissioner of Chittagong carries out the function of sessions judge as per a law enacted in 1900.
Justice Kamrul Islam Siddiqui, leader of the special team formed to monitor the preparation of introducing an independent judiciary, said they felt the necessity of introducing judge's court in the three hill districts during their visit as the local people submitted memorandums to them in favour of it.
At present, the government and the Supreme Court are concentrating on the separation of judiciary from the executive, he said.
Justice Kamrul hoped that steps would be taken to introduce judge's court and specialised courts right after the separation of judiciary.
He, however, did not comment on when the court would be introduced in the three hill districts.
Bandarban Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Abu Saleh Mohammad Ruhul Imran and Bar Association President Advocate Mohiuddin Ahmad, among others, were present.