Staff Reporter:
Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman yesterday said the country needs to return to the caretaker govern-ment (CG) system to ensure a sustainable democracy, as the verdict that annulled the 13th amendment has undermined the basic structure of the country’s constitution.
“We believe the verdict that annulled the 13th amendment has undermined the basic structure of the con-stitution. That verdict is like a cancer and needs to be scrapped. It has already been proven that, due to the abolition of the caretaker government system, our electoral process, democracy, voting rights, rule of law and other constitutional institutions have been destroyed,” he told reporters.
The chief state counsel said these while talking to newsmen as the apex court, earlier in the day, granted a leave for holding hearing on appeal against its judgment, abolishing the poll-time non-party caretaker government (CG) system.
The Attorney General further said, “At the appeal hearing on October 21, our prayer will be to scrap the verdict that annulled the 13th amendment and thereby reopen the doors of democracy for the people of Bangladesh. I will also pray that the offence committed by the then Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque – from the writing of the verdict to the signing of it – be taken into account, as it constitutes a specific of-fence under Section 219 of the Penal Code. We will bring this to the court’s notice.”
The Appellate Division full-bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed earlier in the day, passed its order, fixing October 21 for holding hearing on the matter.
The apex court passed the order after holding hearing on review petitions pleading for restoration of the 13th amendment to the constitution and reinstatement of the poll-time non-party caretaker government system.
Senior advocates Zainul Abedin, Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal and Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir took part in the hearing for the pleas. Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman stood for the state.
