Judiciary under grip of govt: BNP

Staff Reporter :
Condemning passing of the Cyber Security Act (CSA) in Jatiya Sangsad (JS), BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has alleged that the current judicial system in the country is completely under the government’s control as there is no democracy in the country.

“The JS passed the Cyber Security Act on Wednesday, which was earlier called Digital Security Act.

On which our civil society members, journalists and politicians protested.

At the same time, international organizations and even the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations have also said that this law must be changed.

They passed this law in parliament yesterday without making any changes, just changing the name.

I condemnand protest it,” he said at a seminar on the “Current state of judiciary: A tool to oppress the opposition in Bangladesh” organised by the United Lawyers Front at a city hotel on Thursday.

Co-convener of United Lawyers Front Advocate Subrata Chowdhury presented the keynote paper in the seminar.

Commenting that the Awami League does not believe in democracy, the BNP’s senior leader said, adding, “we just want to say that there is no democracy in Bangladesh now.

The judicial system that exists has been completely controlled by them.”

“The democracy and democratic state, which we are talking about, Awami League does not believe in that democratic state, Sheikh Hasina does not believe in it.

They established a one-party system of governance Bakshal in 1975,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said.

He said, “No one can speak freely now.

Today, when police officers talk like politicians, when judges talk about sworn politics, where will the common people go? Today, if the judicial system becomes completely partisan, where will the people go?”

The most important thing needed now is to stand against this system, the former minister said and added that not only the judicial system, but also the state structure must be dismantled.

“A truly democratic state structure should be built by breaking it down,” he added.

He also mentioned the BNP’s 31-point state reform proposals, including formation of a judicial commission to solve problems concerning the country’s judiciary.

Addressing the lawyers, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, “Everyone should be united.

Everyone needs to speak up.

This government has done enough damage to the country.

So I say to the government- enough is enough.

Now, please resign, create a people’s parliament, and a people’s government through people’s votes.”