DHAKA, July 8, 2020 (BSS) – Law Minister Anisul Huq today said the country’s judiciary continued to operate with full freedom beyond any government control, binning a BNP lawmaker’s allegations in parliament that his office interfere in court functioning.
“The judiciary is fully independent as Chief Justice is the sole authority of the court, he opens the court and shuts it down,” he said responding to BNP lawmaker Harunur Rashid’s allegations while the House ‘Use of Information Technology by Court Bill-2020’.
Huq added: “The law ministry does not exercise any power to this end.”
The minister said the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was developing all necessary infrastructure for the courts but “it has no interference in the legal procedure at all”.
Huq said he was ready for detailed parliamentary debate in the parliament on independence of the judiciary while commented that the BNP lawmaker appeared to be see Bangladeshi judiciary like that of Pakistan.
He rather questioned the state of judiciary during 15 years of subsequent BNP rules following the 1975 carnage when no case could be filed seeking the justice for the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s assassination along with most of his family members.
Huq said the country had to wait until October 2, 1996 when the justice could be sought as the Awami League returned to power in elections that year.
The law minister also disagreed that the Digital Security Act could be abused saying that particular law was necessary for the country.
Huq said the current COVID-19 pandemic required the introduction of the ‘virtual court’ system particularly to ensure that people who deserved bail could avail it instead of languishing in jail for no major offence.
“Bangladesh is one of the first three frontline countries in the world to introduce the virtual court system to ensure justice,” he said.
Huq said the pandemic gripped 193 countries disrupting their usual judicial functions as well while only 54 of these nations introduced the virtual court system so far.