Staff Reporter :Barrister Mainul Hosein addressing yesterday at a discussion on “Seven years of Separation of the Judiciary: Expectation and Achievement,” has expressed that democracy is saved and protected by the educated people everywhere like lawyers and journalists. Unfortunately, our lawyers and journalists chose to become party activists of either of the two major parties forgetting their national role as conscientious fighters for the cause of democracy. It is no surprise that democracy lost its way and we, as a nation, are heading towards a leaderless disaster. There is no safety or security in public life. It is alleged by our Human Rights Commission that the chain of command among the police is lax.The discussion was organized by the Supreme Court Bar Association held at Shaheed Shafiur Rahman Auditorium in the city.By way of clarifying, Barrister Mainul Hosein said it became possible for the government to deny the people their voting right and yet claimed to be elected. We did not face such a situation even under dictatorships in Pakistan days.Barrister Mainul explained further that he was surprised and saddened when the lawyers remained silent in the face of the elected government rejecting the law, the last caretaker government made while separating the judiciary from the executive. By that law an independent commission was set up with the Chief Justice as the chairman to help appointment of the judges of the Supreme Court independently of the party influence.He also reminded the lawyers most emphatically that democracy cannot survive where lawyers, journalists including university teachers eagerly accept to be party activists of the political parties like in the communist countries.Barrister Mainul, who as the law minister of the last caretaker government played a decisive role to make the judiciary independent, has urged the lawyers and journalists to give up working as political activists and get united for saving democracy. The country is currently in a big crisis — both politically and economically. Our educated ones cannot be so selfish that for their narrow personal gains the country and the people means nothing to them anymore.SCBA President Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain chaired the discussion while its Secretary Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon and former president of the SCBA Advocate Joynul Abedin spoke at the function, among others. They all have spoken highlighting the importance of unity among the lawyers to ensure rule of law and save democracy. Khandker Mahbub Hossain said, the judiciary was separated from the executive after many years of endevour by the people. They hoped that with the separation of judiciary, it will act independently and will uphold the rule of law. But the people’s expectation was not fulfilled.”It seems that the intention of the government is also imposed on the judiciary. People are not sure when they will get a judiciary, not only separated but also independent,” he added.
