In the last week, reporters stayed round the clock in front of the chief justice’s official residence in 19 Hare Road,Dhaka to collect news related to CJ SK Sinha. Like all other people of the country, media workers were also very much interested in these matters - when he will leave for abroad, where he goes, whom he meets, and who visits him etc.
Basically country’s people were very keen to know about the date of his departure aboard. From 8th October they were performing their jobs in turn in front of the gates of chief justice’s official residence and informed the whole country about every significant event.
On Friday at 9.57 pm, Chief Justice started for the airport from his residence with his spouse. When the car arrived at the main gate of CJ’s residence, the journalists surrounded and stopped the car. At this time, his wife Sushma Sinha was seen sitting beside him in the car. After 30 seconds, he stepped out of his car and then talked in front of the journalists.
Chief Justice Said, ‘I am fully in sound health. I am not fleeing. I will come back. I was not forced to go on leave. I have taken the leave myself.’
‘…I am a little disturbed too. I am the guardian of the judiciary. I do not want that the judiciary get corrupt. I am leaving temporarily for the interest of the judiciary. I have no problem with anyone. The judiciary must remain independent, that’s my only demand.’
He wanted to speak more. But as the crowd of journalists started to increase, police blew whistle to reduce the gathering. At the time Chief Justice stopped his speech and said, ‘That’s all from me.’
In the meantime, he brought a folded paper from his pocket and gave it to the journalists said, ‘You will get everything in it.’
Then he got into the car and it quickly moved towards the hotel Sheraton. Tow police pickups escorted his carriage.
Later it reached Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 10.30 pm without facing any traffic jam via Bangla Motor Road.
After that, Singapore Airlines's SQ 447 flew at 11:55 pm carrying Justice Sinha.
However, though Sushma Sinha, Chief Justice's wife also got an Australian visa, but she returned from the airport.
Meanwhile, in front of the gate of CJ’s official residence, journalists were busy in taking pictures of the paper given by the Chief Justice. The Compassed paper with Chief Justice's seal is thicker than ordinary paper. At the bottom of his statement, there is a signature of Justice Sinha in green ink.
It reads, ‘I am fully in sound health. But I am really embarrassed over the criticism against me by a political quarter, lawyers and especially a few honorable ministers and the honorable prime minister on a verdict. I strongly believe the prime minister has been misinformed by a certain quarter inside the government which led to her umbrage towards me. I am certain she [Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina] will not hold on to this [umbrage].’
The written statement of Chief Justice further reads, ‘"I am also a little bit worried regarding the independence of the judiciary. The law minister [Anisul Huq] on Thursday quoted the acting chief justice, also the eldest member of the current Appellate Division, saying that the latter would bring necessary changes to the Supreme Court administration soon. There is no precedence of an acting chief justice or the government interfering in a sitting chief justice’s administration. The acting chief judge is supposed to carry out daily routine tasks.
“An easy assumption can be drawn from this instance that the government is impinging on the apex court’s business and this might worsen an already deteriorated relationship between the government and the judiciary. This will not benefit the state.”
It is to be noted that on October 10, chief justice informed the president in an official letter that he would travel abroad on October 13 and return on November 10 or the nearest possible date. Later, the law ministry on Thursday issued a circular on Justice Sinha’s leave, its extension and his going abroad. In that circular, it is said that Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah, the most senior judge of the Supreme Court after Justice Sinha, will carry out the CJ’s duties till November 10 or till the CJ rejoins office.
SK Sinha assumed office on January 17, 2015, as the country’s 21st chief justice. He will go on retirement on January 31 next.
Chief justice was facing sharp criticism following the recent Appellate Division verdict that had scrapped the 16th amendment to the constitution which had empowered parliament to remove Supreme Court judges for misbehavior or incapacity.
