SC refuses to take Fakhrul's explanation

The Supreme Court yesterday again refused to accept BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir's explanation of his reported comment on the judiciary.

The court ordered Fakhrul to submit a fresh explanation specifying the reasons for making the comment to it by February 29, his lawyer Sagir Hossain Leon told The Daily Star.

He said they (Fakhrul's lawyers) submitted an explanation on behalf of the BNP leader to the SC on Wednesday, but the reasons for making such remark were not specifically mentioned in the explanation.

A five-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha came up with the order while dealing with three petitions filed by Fakhrul seeking an extension of bail in three cases.

The apex court also fixed February 29 for passing order on the petitions.  

On February 22, the court had refused to take the explanation of Fakhrul as the affidavit containing the explanation was not signed by Fakhrul.

Addressing a public meeting in Sylhet on February 7, Fakhrul said, "The government is trying to control the judiciary."

On February 18, the SC asked the BNP leader to submit an explanation of his comments to the court.

The High Court on November 24 last year granted bail to Fakhrul for three months in the cases filed on January 4, 5, and 6 that year with Paltan police on charges of vandalising and torching vehicles in the capital.

The BNP leader recently submitted the three petitions to the SC, seeking an extension of his bail.