CJ visits hospital for tests

Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, who is on one-month leave on health grounds, yesterday went to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Control, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) in the capital for blood and urine tests.

He returned to his official residence after giving samples, a high official at the Supreme Court told The Daily Star asking not to be identified.

The official, however, could not give details about the chief justice's health condition but said the CJ had earlier talked about going to Australia to see his daughter and receiving treatment.

However, the chief justice did not get his ticket as of yesterday, the official added.

The pro-BNP faction of the Supreme Court Bar Association led by its President Zainul Abedin and Secretary AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon has meanwhile organised a human chain on the SCBA premises protesting what they said was the house arrest of the chief justice.

Moudud Ahmed, Nitai Roy Chowdhury, Abed Raza, Umme Kulsum Rekha, among others, spoke on the occasion.

On the other hand, ruling Awami League-backed lawyers of the SCBA held a press conference at the South Hall of the SCBA building protesting against the statements of Zainul Abedin and Mahbub Uddin Khokon regarding the CJ's one-month leave.

SCBA Vice-President Md Ozi Ullah, Treasurer Rafiqul Islam Hiru, executive members Habibur Rahman, Noor-A-Alam Uzzal and Cumar Debul Dey addressed the press conference.

Chief Justice SK Sinha has been on one month's leave since October 3.

Earlier, Law Minister Anisul Huq said the chief justice had gone on leave for treatment as he had cancer.

The BNP, however, alleged that the chief justice was sent on forced leave.

Justice SK Sinha came under the spotlight after a Supreme Court bench headed by him scrapped the 16th Amendment to the Constitution that restored parliament's authority to impeach SC judges for misconduct or incapacity.