AL, allies to 'face it legally, politically'

The ruling Awami League-led 14-party alliance yesterday termed the Supreme Court verdict on the 16th amendment "irrelevant", "unacceptable" and "ill-motivated" and said they would face it legally and politically.

The ruling alliance also demanded reconsideration of the verdict as well as cancellation of its observations regarding parliament, the Liberation War and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Awami League leader Mohammed Nasim, MP, the 14-party spokesperson, came up with the alliance's stance on the verdict after a meeting with the allies. Samyabadi Dal General Secretary Dilip Barua chaired the meeting held at the AL president's Dhanmondi office yesterday afternoon.

Passed in 2014, the 16th amendment restored parliament's powers to remove SC judges for misconduct or incapacity.

The High Court last year declared the amendment "illegal", which was upheld by the SC on July 3 this year. The apex court released the full verdict on August 1.

Since then, the ruling AL has been criticising the verdict, while the BNP has been praising its observations.

Talking to reporters after yesterday's meeting, Nasim, also health minister and AL presidium member, said people would never accept the observations regarding Bangabandhu and the Liberation War and demanded reconsideration of the verdict.

“We are aggrieved by the judgment," he added.

Dilip Barua said the verdict had undermined the Jatiya Sangsad. "I don't know where the chief justice was during the Liberation War. He had showed audacity as he has no knowledge of the Liberation War. He has given the BNP-Jamaat alliance an opportunity to hatch conspiracy … ," he observed.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JDS-faction) President Hasanul Haq Inu termed the verdict's observations "extrajudicial", "irrelevant", "ill-motivated" and "biased" and said they had never expected such observations.

"The observations have undermined the Liberation War and Bangabandhu and those who are welcoming the verdict are acutely polluting politics," he said.

Inu, who also holds the information portfolio, said the verdict was not acceptable and demanded annulment of the observations and review of the verdict.

Workers Party General Secretary Fazley Hossain Badsha demanded a review of the verdict, while Jatiya Party (JP-Manju) General Secretary Sheikh Shahidul Islam said the entire nation was aggrieved by the verdict.

AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif rejected the verdict terming it "anti-constitutional".

"This verdict has given a scope to the BNP to do dirty politics and encouraged the anti-liberation forces," he observed.

QUADER TO MEET CJ AGAIN

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday said he would meet Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha again to discuss the observations made in the 16th amendment verdict.

“I had a long meeting with the chief justice. I will do the same again, as discussion with him is not over yet,” said Quader, also road transport and bridges minister.

He was addressing a programme marking Sheikh Kamal's birth anniversary in the city.

The minister said he went to the chief justice's residence on Saturday night and talked about the observations in the verdict.

“My party's stance over the observations has been conveyed to the chief justice. I don't want to make any comment before the discussion is over,” he said, adding that people would know about it all at an appropriate time.

The meeting between Quader and the chief justice lasted over two hours. It took place at a time when several ministers and ruling party leaders have been criticising the Supreme Court verdict that scrapped the 16th amendment to the constitution.