A few benches damaged democracy in the past

Says Suranjit

26 June 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Ruling Awami League Advisory Council member Suranjit Sengupta yesterday said a few benches in the higher court had damaged the country's democracy in the past. The nation has witnessed a section of the judges to play roles in favour of every military rule in Bangladesh while the world has seen that the judiciary in Pakistan had played an effective role in establishing democracy in that country, he said. Suranjit, also the ruling party lawmaker, said this while he was speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled “Budgetary allocation for law and justice: An exploratory analysis” organised by Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (BILIA) at its auditorium yesterday. Suranjit, also chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, said the judiciary has been independent nominally since this organ is to depend on the ministry of finance still now for its budgetary allocation. The administration of the judiciary is still now working under the executive, he said, adding that the judiciary has to be given authority to allocate its own budget for its real independence. The purview of the judiciary should be extended through setting up more courts in the country and it should be independent in true sense for establishing rule of law and democracy, he said. State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam said the government is allocating budget necessary for the expenses of the judiciary although there is no specific allocation in the budget for it. He said Tk 12 crore has been allocated in the proposed budget of 2010-2011 fiscal year for the trial of war crimes and it will be enhanced if necessary. BILIA Honorary Director Dr Shahdeen Malik, Nijera Kori Executive Director Khushi Kabir, Supreme Court lawyers SM Munir, Tureen Afroz, Abdullah Al Mamun, Aftab Uddin Ahmed and Shashanka Shekhar Halder also spoke at the seminar with Professor Rehman Sobhan in the chair.