International   

Bangladesh judiciary separates from the executive

DHAKA: The judiciary of Bangladesh embarked on an epoch-making journey on Thursday separating itself from the executive organ of the state fulfilling a long-cherished dream.

From Thursday, all magistrates at subordinate courts started exercising their judicial functions under the authority of the Supreme Court.

Chief Adviser of the care-taker government Fakhruddin Ahmed ceremonially inaugurated the Dhaka District Judicial Magistracy and Dhaka Metropolitan Magistracy on Thursday, setting off the journey of the independent judiciary.

“It is a great day for the nation and there is no doubt about it,” said the head of interim government which took over 10 months ago pledging an election by end of 2008.

The separation came after 200 years of colonial rule and 36 years of independence. Chief justice of Bangladesh Md Ruhul Amin, who attended the ceremony as special guest, said the move was the outcome of the “long-felt national desire.”

While successive political governments failed to effect the separation despite persistent pressures from both the bench, the bar and the civil society, the caretaker government finally did it by implementing the 12-point directive of the Supreme Court given in 1999.

The directive came following a case — popularly known as Masder Hossain case — filed in 1995 by 440 members of the lower tier of the judiciary.

The provision for the separation was introduced in the Constitution framed in 1972, a year after the country gained freedom. The demand also existed in the then East Pakistan as the 1949 draft constitution of the Awami League had pledged to separate the judiciary from the executive.

Article 22 says, “The state shall ensure the separation of the judiciary from the executive organs of the state.”

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Bangladesh judiciary separates from the executive
Western textile importers plan boycott
Resolve Palestinian issue: U.K.
22 LTTE cadres killed
China strengthens export norms
Harry faces probe
An African chimpanzee and its language of signs
Colour-blind DJ
Pilot of Hiroshima bomber dead

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu