Judiciary system is entirely under control of govt: Fakhrul

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir
File photo

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday alleged that the current judiciary system is entirely under control of the government.

“We just want to say this, there is no democracy in Bangladesh, the judicial system that exists has completely gone under their (government's) control,” he said.

Fakhrul came up with the remarks while addressing as the chief guest at a seminar styled ‘Current State of Judiciary: A Tool to Oppress Opposition in Bangladesh’ organised by the United Lawyers Front (ULF) at Hotel Lakeshore in Dhaka’s Gulshan area on Thursday.

Alleging that one-party ruling is going on in the country, he said no one can talk and police officers talk like politicians and judges talk about politics.

He questioned, “Where will we ordinary people go, whom should we go to? If the judicial system is completely partisan where will people go?

Urging all to stand against all oppressions, the BNP leader said the state structure which was built to oppress people must be shattered and a truly democratic state structure will have to be built.

He put forward a 31-point proposal including formation of a Judicial Commission to resolve problems in the judiciary system. All lawyers must be united to form the government of people.

People took a decision that they don’t want to see the government anymore and all lawyers of the country will have to stand by people to oust the government, Fakhrul said.

The BNP secretary general alleged that the government on Wednesday passed the Cyber Security Bill just changing its earlier name ‘Digital Security Act in Parliament despite objections from civil society, journalists and politicians.

Moreover, the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations asked the government to change some sections of the newly passed Cyber Security Act, but they didn’t pay heed to their words, he said.

The High Court division’s justice (retd) Nazrul Islam Chowdhury and justice (retd) Miftah Uddin Chowdhury who were present at the seminar expressed their concerns over the current situation in the High Court.

ULF’s Co-Convenor Advocate Subrata Chowdhury presented a keynote paper in the seminar.

Chaired by ULF’s convenor and former president of Supreme Court Bar Association lawyer Joynal Abedin, lawyer Kaisar Kamal conducted the seminar where BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Dhaka University’s law department professor Borhan Uddin Khan, lawyer Mahbub Uddin Khokan, lawyer Mohsin Rashid and lawyer Ruhul Kuddus Kazal also spoke on the occasion.