Dhaka– Welcoming the Supreme Court (SC) verdict that upheld the High Court verdict declaring the 16th constitutional amendment illegal, BNP on Monday said it is a victory of people. “With the 16th amendment, Parliament had been given the authority to remove Supreme Court judges. The Supreme Court today (Monday) declared it illegal. We think the court’s decision is a victory of people,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. He further said, “The government’s plot to grab the judiciary has been foiled with the apex court’s decision. We welcome and hail it.” The BNP leader came up with the remarks while giving their party’s instant reaction to the SC verdict at a hurriedly called press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office. Rizvi said their party also thinks the apex court’s decision will help ensure the independence of the judiciary and establish good governance. Earlier in the day, the SC upheld the High Court verdict that annulled parliament’s powers to impeach Supreme judges declaring the 16th amendment to the Constitution illegal. Rizvi said if the current parliament had the authority to remove apex court judges, it would have badly affected the neutrality of the court and also justice and the government would have a scope to create undue pressure on judges. Voicing satisfaction over the SC verdict, he said, “The possibility of unwarranted interference in the court by the ruling party has been removed through the judgement. It also makes people’s hope stronger to get justice from the court.” Replying to a question, the BNP leader said the government had brought the 16th amendment to the constitution with an evil motive to establish the Prime Minister’s unilateral control on the judiciary. He said the SC verdict will boost people’s confidence in the judiciary for getting justice.UNB news agency
