Lawyer and Jamaat-e-Islami central executive council member Shishir Manir, on Thursday said that an independent judiciary was a common demand of all anti-fascist parties, including the BNP.
He described the abolition of the Secretariat as a “betrayal of the nation,” noting that the “July Charter” had promised a self-governing judicial branch.
Speaking at a press conference at Jamaat’s Moghbazar central office in Dhaka, he said the abolition of the judicial secretariat had blocked the path to an independent judiciary and undermined public confidence in the justice system.
He noted that although various measures have been taken to strengthen the judiciary’s independence since independence, these efforts were historically undermined by BAKSAL and periods of military rule.
He added that the Ministry of Law often seeks to control the judiciary to secure specific outcomes, including convicting individuals in late-night or evening court sessions. “If the government has no such ulterior motives, the Supreme Court should be the sole authority overseeing judges,” he said.
Manir questioned the Ministry’s role, saying, “The Ministry of Law should have no role here. If a verdict goes against the government, they may appeal, but why should they withhold a judge’s promotion?”
He pointed out that although the recruitment of lower court judges is now transparent, the ministry still controls transfers, leave, promotions, and disciplinary matters, making it impossible for judges to work independently.
The Jamaat leader added that a previously established independent judicial secretariat under the Chief Justice, which had appointed 15 judicial officers, has now been dismantled by returning those officials to the ministry. He stressed that a civilised society cannot exist if judges are prevented from working freely and that judicial independence requires all parties to accept verdicts regardless of the outcome.
Manir concluded that the Secretariat’s abolition has destroyed public confidence in the judicial system.
The press conference was also attended by Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretaries General Hamidur Rahman Azad and Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, Executive Council member Mubarak Hossain, and Dhaka City North Publicity and Media Secretary Ataur Rahman Sarker.
