Staff Reporter :
Chief Justice (CJ) Surendra Kumar Sinha has said he is “not ill” and going abroad “willingly” to uphold the dignitary of judiciary.
“I’m neither ill, nor fleeing. I’m not leaving the country following pressure from any quarter… I will return,” he told reporters while leaving his official residence in the city for Australia on Friday night.
The Chief Justice also gave a written statement to the reporters while leaving for Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:00pm. He left Dhaka for Australia at 11.55pm by a flight of Singapore Airlines.
His statement, however, contradicted the government’s claim that he has gone on ‘sick leave’ for treatment abroad.
The Law Minister, Anisul Huq, and the Attorney General, Mahbubey Alam, earlier said that he had taken leave as was suffering from cancer.
His sudden leave spread a countrywide rumour as various quarters alleged that the Chief Justice was sent to force leave.
He said he believed “a quarter is misleading the Prime Minister over a verdict (16th amendment)
Following the 16th amendment verdict on August 1 that scrapped the parliament’s power to impeach judges over misconduct or incapacity, the Chief Justice has faced wraths from the ruling Awami League leaders, including its President and also Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Chief Justice said he was embarrassed by the comments of government
ministers and ruling party leaders following the verdict.
“I am leaving temporarily to uphold the dignity of judiciary. I will return,” he added.
The Chief Justice is on a one-month leave from October 3.
A gazette notification issued by the Law Ministry on Thursday said, Justice Sinha’s application for a 30-day leave from Oct 3 to Nov 1 had previously been approved but a new order was issued by the President to extend the Chief Justice’s overseas stay.
The notice states that Justice Wahhab Miah will fulfill the duties of the Chief Justice between Nov 2 and Nov 10, or until Justice Sinha returns.
The Chief Justice’s leave application came on the heels of a widespread debate on the 16th Amendment case verdict that restored the provision of the Supreme Judicial Council after scrapping the 16th Amendment to the Constitution.
After the Chief Justice went on leave, the BNP and like-minded quarters alleged that he has been sent on forced leave ahead of retirement in January following an outrage in the ruling party over the verdict.
A number of Awami League leaders and pro-AL lawyers demanded the Chief Justice’s resignation, accusing him of undermining Parliament and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the 16th Amendment case verdict.
On September 13, the Jatiya Sangsad passed a resolution calling for legal steps to nullify the SC verdict. The Law Minister said on several occasions that the government would seek a review of the judgment.
Chief Justice (CJ) Surendra Kumar Sinha has said he is “not ill” and going abroad “willingly” to uphold the dignitary of judiciary.
“I’m neither ill, nor fleeing. I’m not leaving the country following pressure from any quarter… I will return,” he told reporters while leaving his official residence in the city for Australia on Friday night.
The Chief Justice also gave a written statement to the reporters while leaving for Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:00pm. He left Dhaka for Australia at 11.55pm by a flight of Singapore Airlines.
His statement, however, contradicted the government’s claim that he has gone on ‘sick leave’ for treatment abroad.
The Law Minister, Anisul Huq, and the Attorney General, Mahbubey Alam, earlier said that he had taken leave as was suffering from cancer.
His sudden leave spread a countrywide rumour as various quarters alleged that the Chief Justice was sent to force leave.
He said he believed “a quarter is misleading the Prime Minister over a verdict (16th amendment)
Following the 16th amendment verdict on August 1 that scrapped the parliament’s power to impeach judges over misconduct or incapacity, the Chief Justice has faced wraths from the ruling Awami League leaders, including its President and also Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Chief Justice said he was embarrassed by the comments of government
ministers and ruling party leaders following the verdict.
“I am leaving temporarily to uphold the dignity of judiciary. I will return,” he added.
The Chief Justice is on a one-month leave from October 3.
A gazette notification issued by the Law Ministry on Thursday said, Justice Sinha’s application for a 30-day leave from Oct 3 to Nov 1 had previously been approved but a new order was issued by the President to extend the Chief Justice’s overseas stay.
The notice states that Justice Wahhab Miah will fulfill the duties of the Chief Justice between Nov 2 and Nov 10, or until Justice Sinha returns.
The Chief Justice’s leave application came on the heels of a widespread debate on the 16th Amendment case verdict that restored the provision of the Supreme Judicial Council after scrapping the 16th Amendment to the Constitution.
After the Chief Justice went on leave, the BNP and like-minded quarters alleged that he has been sent on forced leave ahead of retirement in January following an outrage in the ruling party over the verdict.
A number of Awami League leaders and pro-AL lawyers demanded the Chief Justice’s resignation, accusing him of undermining Parliament and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the 16th Amendment case verdict.
On September 13, the Jatiya Sangsad passed a resolution calling for legal steps to nullify the SC verdict. The Law Minister said on several occasions that the government would seek a review of the judgment.
