Eminent Jurist Dr Kamal Hossain has urged the government to discuss with stakeholders on the proposed 16th Amendment Bill before its passing. “The discussion should have been held prior to placing of the bill before the Jatiya Sangsad. Even after that, I call upon the government to talk to experts about it,” he said this at the BBC-Bangladesh Sanglap held in the auditorium of BIAM in the city on Saturday evening. Awami League’s Law Affairs Secretary and the incumbent MP Abdul Matin Khasru, BNP’s Chairperson’s Advisor Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Jahangirnagar University Professor Dr Nasim Akhter Hossain, among others, spoke at the Sanglap.Dr Kamal Hossain, also President of Ganoforum, sought a copy of the drafted bill to learn about inclusion in it. “It is true we had engineered the impeachment of Supreme Court judges in 1972 Constitution. But the then situation and the present situation are totally different. So, it is time to hold discussion on the issue,” he said.Have we found impartiality in the House in the last 42 years? He questioned. One should not support nor reject it before discussion and review, he said.Abdul Matin Khasru said the bill has nothing but what Dr Kamal Hossain-led constitution committee included in 1972 Constitution. Any SC judge could be impeached just then when he would be proved guilty through investigation of three SC judges, he said. It will not be enough to impeach a judge if two-third majority votes of the MPs are not found against him or her, he added. “So, there should not have any reason to be panic”, he said. Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said I am unaware how much impartial role is played by the judiciary now. If the 16th Amendment Bill is passed, the impartiality will fade away forever.Dr Nasim Akhter argued with the BNP leader. She added that the judiciary would extinct through the passing of the bill.The corruption in some private universities, illegal establishment in railway lines and major political parties’ weakness also came up for discussion. BBC Journalist Akbar Hossain moderated the session.
