& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Moudud, his deputy talk differently over judicial separation

sTAFF coRREsPoNDENT
The state minister for law yesterday claimed that people and legal experts are still unclear about what separation of the judiciary means, when the law minister is optimistic about the separation from the executive wing of the state by yearend.
"The process of separation of the judiciary is very complex as many things are involved with it," Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Moudud Ahmed told a roundtable yesterday.
"We have to settle many things including the jobs of 600 magistrates who are now working under the executive," he said. "Still, we hope it will be done by the end of this year."
Shahjahan Omar, the state minister for law, told the roundtable that he had talked to many legal experts abroad who are "totally unfamiliar with the term (separation of the judiciary)."
"I'm quite sure people who often give Paltan-style speeches demanding the separation also don't know what judiciary's separation means... And I too don't understand the term," said the state minister, also a barrister.
FROM PAGE 1
The Supreme Court has asked the government to separate the judiciary from the executive, but the government has the deadline extended 18 times since 1999. The government petition for a 19th extension will be heard on November 9.
The roundtable on "Good Governance and Judiciary" was organised by the law ministry to celebrate the BNP-led alliance government's three years in office and to project the successes of the ministry since its accession to office.
A number of opposition politicians, who took part in the discussion, bitterly criticised the government for what they said was the killing of people by Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) on the pretext of 'crossfire' and without trial, denying them the chance to defend themselves.
"How can we say the rule of law exists in the country when people are being killed in custody and unfortunately, both the prime minister and home minister have welcomed such operations," said Rashed Khan Menon, president of the Workers' Party of Bangladesh.
Menon also slated the government for giving impunity to the joint forces after the custodial death of 48 people during the Operation Clean Heart anticrime drive. "Now we are witnessing politicisation in the appointment of High Court judges," he lamented.
On the criticism of the Rab activities, Moudud said, "We did not form the force through any new law and it has been formed under the law relating to the Armed Police Battalion."
Without admitting to allegations of custodial deaths, the law minister observed that custodial killing is not acceptable to any government. Such killings cannot be licensed, as the government is the custodian of the citizens.
On killings in crossfire, Shahjahan Omar said human rights are not for criminals. "In many countries criminals are killed after their arrest."
Responding to some discussants' views on people's lack of
confidence in the judiciary, he said it might be true that public trust in the judiciary has decreased, but it does not mean that people have no confidence in the judicial system.
"It is not true that our judicial system has been destroyed. (But) I want to make it clear that our judiciary is absolutely independent," said the law minister.
Jatiya Party (Ershad) lawmaker GM Quader criticised the speedy trial procedure, saying people are being deprived of justice as in many cases investigators do not get enough time to enquire into the cases with the Speedy Trial Tribunals.
Moudud however termed the system a great success of the government, as a number of sensational cases have been disposed of through the tribunals. He claimed no-one has been 'politically' harassed in the speedy trial procedure.
Quader demanded scrapping of the Article 70 of the constitution, which bars a lawmaker from voting against his party. Accountability of a government cannot be ensured in parliament because of these sorts of loopholes, he added.
Shahjahan Omar sharply reacted to Quader's view and said scrapping of the Article 70 would create rooms for purchase of lawmakers. "If it is done, the lawmakers will take bribe from the opponents and cast vote against their own party."
Barrister Mainul Husein presented the keynote paper. Attorney General AF Hassan Ariff, Barrister Rafique ul Haq and Harun-al-Rashid MP, among others, took part in the discussion held at the Old High Court Bhaban.