AL adamant not to lose to judiciary

Ruling Awami League (AL) does not want to lose out in the current fracas over the judgement scrapping the 16th amendment annulment verdict. 

According to party insiders, the AL will not appeal for a review petition if there is any possibility whatsoever of the judgement remaining unchanged.

Meanwhile, AL’s strategy is for its ministers, members of parliament and leaders to create political pressure.

An AL lawyer leader told Prothom Alo that the ruling party is rigid over the observations of the verdict.

The party, normally, avoids political issues during the month of mourning. But this time, the party policymakers asked the leaders to highlight weak points of the judgement at various meetings and gatherings.

The government is mulling all options present in the constitution to resolve the crisis over the Supreme Court’s verdict to scrap the 16th amendment.

The ruling party is trying to resolve the crisis through talks.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina along with AL general secretary and road transport, and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, law minister Anisul Huq and attorney general Mahbubey Alam had a long meeting with the president, Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban on Wednesday evening.

Political analysts said the two topmost officials of the state might have discussed the issue of the Supreme Court verdict that scrapped the 16th constitutional amendment, creating a huge stir in the political arena.

According to the analysts, the confrontation between the government and the apex court has become visible over four issues: 16th amendment annulment verdict, discipline of lower court judges, legality of the law secretary’s contractual recruitment, and executive magistrates’ power to exercise judiciary.

Emerging from the Wednesday meeting, Obaidul Quader told newsmen that they had talks over the verdict.

Asked whether any decision was made at the meeting, he said there will be more discussions.

Obaidul Quader conveyed to the chief justice how angry the ruling party is over the 16th amendment verdict, and its consequences.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday alleged the ruling AL is mounting pressure on the CJ to change the 16th amendment verdict.

AL presidium member Kazi Zafar Ullah told Prothom Alo that everything will happen as per the constitution.

The party has no intention or wish to send the CJ on a vacation, he added.

The AL leader also said the party is discontented over the 16th amendment annulment verdict and party’s general secretary conveyed this message to the chief justice. This is a democracy and AL is not here to hatch any conspiracy.

If there is any problem, it will be resolved through talks, he added.

About Wednesday’s meeting, Kazi Zafar Ullah said that prime minister Sheikh Hasina briefed the president about the country’s flood situation.