‘Khaleda getting more than she deserves’

Law Minister Anisul Huq today said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is getting more facilities in jail than those allowed by the Jail Code.

“The provisions of the Jail Code are applicable to any person when he or she is convicted by a court,” he said in response to queries of reporters at a programme.

When asked whether there is any legal bar to provide treatment to Khaleda at United Hospital, Minister Huq said: “Many discussions have taken place on this issue. I think we are going on within the legal procedures. The government has no power to breach the Jail Code”.

He was speaking at a programme of inauguration of 37th foundation training course for the assistant judges at the Judicial Administration Training Institute (JATI) in Dhaka.

Replying to another query on the appointment of new judges to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, the law minister said new judges will be appointed to the Appellate Division soon.

Anisul Huq said he doesn’t feel that there is shortage of judges in the Appellate Division although the number of judges of his division has come down to four now, from what was 11 in 2009, because of retirement, death and resignation of some judges.

The law minister, however, agreed that the number of pending cases with the Appellate Division has increased.

JATI Director General Justice Khondker Musa Khaled and Law Secretary ASSM Zahirul Haque Dulal, among others, spoke at the occasion.