Govt has nothing to do with Khaleda’s bail: Law minister

Law Minister Anisul Huq today said granting bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is a discretion of the court and therefore the government has nothing to do in this regard.

“Khaleda Zia has been sentenced to imprisonment by a trial court at first and then by the High Court for embezzling money of the orphans. She has also been sentenced to imprisonment by a lower court for misappropriating money of Zia Charitable Trust. There is no question of government’s vindictiveness here,” he said.

The minister said this while replying to queries from reporters after attending as chief guest at the inauguration of special training for the government pleaders and public prosecutors at Judicial Administration Training Institute (JATI) in Dhaka.

Anisul Huq said the judiciary is fully independent now.

“Courts were kept confined inside the then government’s pocket during BNP-led government regimes. There is no such situation in the country now,” he said.

Law Minister Anisul said a bill on the amendment of the land survey tribunal act will be placed before the parliament in its next session.

“A joint district judge discharges as the judge of the land survey tribunal now. Seniors assistant judges and even assistant judges too can discharge as the judge of the land survey tribunal along with the joint district judges after the law will be amended,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Minister Anisul told the inauguration that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina led government has taken some significant steps to reduce the backlog of cases and to modernize the judiciary.

He urged the government pleaders and public prosecutors to discharge their duties with a charitable mindset.

JATI’s Director General Justice Khondker Musa Khaled presided over the inauguration meeting.