Bangladesh PM Hasina blasts Chief Justice amid growing row

Press Trust of India  |  Dhaka 

Amid a raging row with the Supreme Court, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today slammed Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha for comparing with and accused him of "humiliating" the country.

Sinha, the first Hindu apex chief justice in this Muslim-majority country, yesterday said that the judiciary has been very patient and referred to the removal of Pakistan's Prime Minister by the country's apex


"We are being very, very patient. The Supreme of removed the prime minister. Was there any criticism over it? No," Sinha told an open hearing.

Commenting on Sinha's remarks, Hasina said this cannot be accepted that a removed their through a verdict and that will be used as a threat in

"He should have quit...The most humiliating thing is the comparison with which is intolerable," Hasina said, without mentioning Chief Justice Sinha's name.

"There would be no benefit in giving me such a threat (of removal)," she said, asserting that she is not scared at all.

"People's is the biggest court; no one can ignore people's ..I'm lodging my complaint with this .. I want justice from the of people," she said.

A number of senior government leaders virtually attacked the chief justice over a recent verdict declaring void 16th constitutional amendment scrapping parliament's authority in impeaching Supreme judges.

The government is reviewing the judgment to overturn it for being "unacceptable".

Hasina said the apex defamed the parliament and attempted to snatch the presidential authority.

"When you (chief justice) make criticism in this regard, then you will have to accept other...So you should have stepped down before making such a comment," she said.

Opposition party outside parliament BNP of ex-Khaleda Zia backed Sinha, saying the government was trying to control the higher judiciary by launching a vigorous campaign against the apex judgment.

The row emerged in May when the apex first refused to accept a government formulated code of conduct for lower judiciary judges, saying it undermined the Supreme in regulating them.

Bangladesh's original 1972 Constitution had empowered parliament to remove Supreme judges but a 1975 amendment entrusted the President with the authority.

In a subsequent amendment in 1978, when a military regime was in power, the authority was bestowed on Supreme Judicial Council, comprising apex judges.

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