DHAKA, Nov 1, 2024 (BSS) - Lawyers, politicians, academicians and journalists at a discussion today underscored the need for ensuring complete independence of judiciary in state reform activities for bringing a balance of power among three pillars of state-legislature, executive and judiciary to establish justice in society.
 
"Separate secretariat of judiciary should be established for stopping executive branch's interference in judiciary," Supreme Court (SC) lawyer Barrister Sara Hossain told the discussion virtually on "independence of judiciary and overall reforms of the state" at publishing house UCL head office at Green Road in the capital.
 
She said, "We are not talking about only institutional independence but also for ensuring professional independence of judges and other concerned in judiciary".
 
Sara Hossain said a massive achievement of July mass uprising is that the people can now talk freely.
 
She also underscored the need for amendment of the colonial period's contempt of court act.
 
The University Press Limited (UPL) Managing Director organized the discussion marking the silver jubilee of Masdar Hossain Case and its verdict and 17 years of its implementation at the UPL head office in Green Road in the capital.
 
The discussion also focused on a book on "context of separation of judiciary and Bangla translation of Masdar Hossain Case Verdict" translated and edited by writer and researcher Millat Hossain.
 
New Age Editor Nurul Kabir, Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, Ganosamhati Andolan Chief Coordinator Zonayed Saki, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Assistant International Affairs Secretary Barrister Rumin Farhana addressed the discussion.
 
Supreme Court (SC) lawyer Barrister Sara Hossain and former teacher of Dhaka University Law Department Dr Ridwanul Haque also spoke on the occasion joining the event virtually.
 
Writer and researcher Millat Hossain, Anti-Discrimination Student Movement spokesperson Umama Fatima and former district judge Masdar Hossain, one of the petitioners of the much talked-about case seeking separation of the judiciary from the executive, also spoke in the event.
 
The University Press Limited (UPL) Managing Director Mahrukh Mohiuddin moderated the event.
 
Nurul Kabir said using Bangla language in judicial system so that justice seekers belonging to any class of society can understand the argument and court verdict easily.
 
If the justice seekers cannot understand the argument or verdict, it won't be righteous for him or her, he said.
 
About the overcall state reforms Nurul Kabir said: "We will have to continue our united resistance to have a dreamed nation for what many people made supreme sacrifices on different occasions and struggled for long."

Jyotirmoy Barua said 98 percent justice seekers go to lower court for getting justice. But, executive branch interferes in lower court as well as appointment of judges, their accommodations and facilities are controlled by the government, he said, adding that under existing system, the government can easily suppress its opponents using the judiciary.

Barrister Rumin Farhana said politicians will have to come forward to ensure complete independence of judiciary.
 
No political government in the history of Bangladesh wanted to ensure complete independence of the judiciary, she said.
 
She underscored the need for stopping interference of executive branch of state in the judiciary for ensuring its independence.
 
Dr Ridwanul Haque said appointment of Supreme Court judges and lower court judges should not be at hands of executive branch.
 
He stressed on making a framework or a policy for appointment of judges.
Zonayed Saki also said if the executive branch enjoys the power of appointing judges, independence of the judiciary cannot be ensured.
 
Ridwanul also said a policy should be formulated for appointment of judges at lower courts and Supreme Court.