Govt has nothing to do with Khaleda’s bail

Law Minister Anisul Huq yesterday said granting bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is a discretion of the court, and therefore the government has nothing to do in this regard.

“Khaleda Zia was sentenced to imprisonment by a trial court at first and then by the High Court for embezzling money meant for orphans. She has also been sentenced to imprisonment by a lower court for misappropriating money of Zia Charitable Trust. There is no question of government’s vindictiveness here,” he said.

The minister said this while replying to queries from reporters after attending the inauguration of a special training for government pleaders and public prosecutors, at Judicial Administration Training Institute (JATI).

“Courts were kept confined inside the then government’s pocket during BNP-led government regimes. There is no such situation in the country now,” he said.

The law minister said a bill on the amendment of the land survey tribunal act will be placed before the parliament in its next session.

“A joint district judge discharges duties as the judge of the land survey tribunal now. Seniors assistant judges and even assistant judges too can serve as judge of the land survey tribunal along with joint district judges, after the law is amended,” he added.

Earlier, Anisul told the programme that the government has taken significant steps to reduce backlog of cases and to modernise the judiciary.

JATI Director General Justice Khondker Musa Khaled presided over the event.