Dhaka – Law Minister Anisul Huq on Wednesday said that there is no timeframe to appoint the chief justice under the constitution and the president can do it at any time.
The minister also said that the shortage of Appellate Division judges would be fulfilled after the president appoints the new Chief Justice.“Appointments of both the chief justice and Appellate Division judges are the jurisdiction of the president under the constitution. There is no time limit to appoint the chief justice. The president can appoint the chief justice and the Appellate Division whenever he wants to do so,” the law minister made the comments while talking to reporters after coming out from a programme at Prottoy Medical Hospital in capital’s Baridhara area.
In response to a reporters’ query, the minister said, “I cannot say when, where and how chief justice will be appointed…it is his (president’s) matter.”
Replying to another query, the law minister said that as per the article 97 of the constitution the senior most judge of the Appellate Division would conduct the responsibility of the chief justice and justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah, senior most judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, is now carrying out the responsibilities of the chief justice in accordance with the constitution.
Justice Wahhab Miah will carry out the chief justice duty until the new CJ is appointed, the minister noted.
In response to another query, he said that he would meet the Appellate Division Judges tomorrow afternoon (today) to talk about the disciplinary rules for lower court judges where chief justice issue will not be discussed.
The law minister earlier attended an anti-drug awareness campaign organized by Prottoy Medical Hospital as chief guest while Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, captain of One Day Internationals for Bangladesh national cricket team also attended the event as the special guest.
In his speech, the law minister said, “Drug abuse has stood out as a major hurdle against the development of the nation. The prime minister vowed to make Bangladesh a drug free country. Awareness and resistance are needed to eliminate the drug from the society.”
Mashrafe Bin Mortaza urged the people to work all together for making Bangladesh drug free country. – Staff Reporter
