High Court rules against withdrawal of Pirojpur judge

The High Court (HC) on Wednesday issued a rule asking law ministry secretary to reply within a week as to why the court shall not declare illegal the withdrawal of Pirojpur district and sessions judge Md Abdul Mannan, reports news agency BSS.

A High Court division bench comprising justice Tariq ul Hakim and justice Md Iqbal Kabir passed the order on suo moto move as Supreme Court lawyers M Abdul Qaium and Eunus Ali Akond drew court’s attention towards newspaper reports on the matter.

Pirojpur district and sessions judge Md Abdul Mannan on 3 March passed order to send former Awami League lawmaker AKMA Awal and his wife Lyla Parvin to jail in a graft case filed by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The judge was promptly withdrawn after the order and the acting sessions judge then released Awal, president of the district unit of ruling Bangladesh Awami League, and his wife on bail.

Meanwhile, law, justice and aarliamentary affairs minister Anisul Huq at a media briefing today said the judge was withdrawn to ease volatile situation created after the former lawmaker was sent to jail.

The minister also said the incident did not violate the rule of law.