Worried at the controversies over Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha’s remarks on the prosecution, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam on Sunday urged all to exercise restraint in making comments on such issues as those are ‘unconstitutional’.“When the case was filed against Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, there had been so many gossips and juicy stories … you ultimately saw what verdict on his case came out. So wait and see, have patience…also have trust in the judiciary because it’s one of the major three organs of the state… don’t make the judiciary controversial,” he said.
The chief law officer of the state came up with the suggestions while talking to reporters at his office in the wake of Food Minister Qamrul Islam and Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque demand for the resignation of the Chief Justice for his reported remarks that “the prosecution is doing politics with the trial of condemned war criminal and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali.”
The two ministers made the demand at a roundtable discussion organised by Ekatorrer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee in the city on Saturday.
Noting that the Chief Justice is the head of a country’s judiciary, the Attorney General said any attempt to make him controversial is similar to making the judiciary controversial. “I urge all to refrain from making such comments.”
Any disparaging comment about the judiciary will put the war crimes trial into question, he said.
Asked how he views the matter, Mahbubey Alam said, “We have to consider what verdict the Chief Justice delivers. What he talked to the lawyers can’t be a topic in the newspapers or a rally.”
He also said any verdict of the apex court is not made at the decision of a single judge. “The decisions are taken in a democratic way incorporating the opinions of all.”
Mentioning that the Supreme Court will deliver its judgment on March 8 on the appeal filed by Mir Quasem Ali against his death sentence, Mahbubey Alam urged all to wait until the delivery of the verdict with patience. “I’ll urge to wait with patience and not to make any adverse comments on the judiciary and the Chief Justice.”
He also rubbished Qamrul’s call for refraining from hearing as meaningless.
Earlier, on February 23, during the hearing of arguments on Mir Quasem Ali’s death row review petition, the Chief Justice purportedly expressed dissatisfaction over the activities of the prosecution and the investigation agency.
