Staff Reporter :
Outgoing Supreme Court judge, Justice Mohammad Abdul Hafiz, said in his farewell speech on Thursday that the people of entire Bangladesh became astonished to see a salaried government officer owning crores of takas.
“The people of the country are astonished thinking how a paid government officer can own crores of takas, even hundreds of crores of takas.
The state has to take the responsibility to stop it,” said Justice Abdul Hafiz during his speech while he was felicitated by lawyers and colleagues at the chief justice’s courtroom on the eve of his last day at office.
Such a significant comment from the outgoing SC judge’s aftermath was that the Anti-Corruption Commission had taken steps to investigate former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed, and the United States had imposed restrictions on the Bangladesh Army’s former chief, General Aziz Ahmed, and his family members allegedly for indulging in corruption.
The chief justice, Obaidul Hassan, on behalf of his colleagues, Attorney General AM Amin Uddin on behalf of the state law officers, and the Supreme Court Bar Association’s president, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, on behalf of the lawyers, felicitated Justice Abdul Hafiz at the end of the Appellate Division’s proceedings at noon.
Justice Abdul Hafiz said that corruption has damaged the country’s achievements.
The Justice called upon the government authorities to keep the office and court free from corrupt people.
He said false cases had been filed frequently in the name of protecting assets, preventing crimes, seeking the rights of women and children, and preventing their oppression.
Such false cases have been used as a tool to harass opponents, he added. The Justice said that the court’s time had been wasted as it took a long time to establish a false case. He said that false cases had become a threat to the justice system.
Justice Abdul Hafiz urged lawyers to provide the judges with proper legal assistance to reach the right decision and make the court’s time fruitful.