‘President, CJ’s duty to probe allegations against 3 HC judges’

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Bangla Tribune Report
Published : 20:56, Aug 22, 2019 | Updated : 20:58, Aug 22, 2019

File photo shows Attorney General Mahbubey Alam addressing the media at his city residence.The president and chief justice are responsible for probing the allegations of graft against the three High Court judges who have been barred from performing their duties.

He made the remarks while addressing a media call at his office at the Supreme Court on Thursday (Aug 22) hours after the Supreme Court barred justices Salma Masud Chowdhury, Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and AKM Zahirul Hoque from hearing matters.

“Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain decided to temporarily bar the three justices after discussions with President Abdul Hamid,” he said.

He added that it’s primarily the head of the state and chief justice’s duty to keep the judiciary in check.

Saying that this kind of steps should have been taken long ago, he added, “Whatever is needed to keep the judiciary free of stigma should be done.”

The state’s top lawyer said that the lawyers want the justices to be above controversy and the Supreme Court Bar Association was long calling for the judiciary’s image to be preserved and free of stigma.

Responding to queries on how the allegations against the HC judges will be dealt with, the AG said that it was the president and chief justice’s call and commented that this incident was the first of its kind.

Responding to queries on whether the probe will be carried out by the Supreme Judicial Council, he said that a review has already been filed in this regard.

“Even if the Supreme Judicial Council does it, the Chief Justice would have carried a probe along with three of his junior justices and sent the report to the president.”

However, it won’t be beneficial for the judiciary’s image if the allegations are made public.

The attorney general said that no one including ministers and justices are above law and that those who are not walking the right path should take it as a warning.

Earlier on Thursday, for the very first time in the history of Bangladesh, three HC judges were barred from carrying out their duties after a preliminary probe found allegations of corruption against them to be credible.

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Three HC judges barred from duty over graft allegations

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