Hasina’s house is on fire over 16th Amendment move, claims BNP

The BNP says pro-Awami League lawyers opposing the attempt to restore Parliament's power to remove judges is proof that their own stand against the move is justified.

Speaking at a rally of the 20-Party Alliance at Suhrawardy Udyan on Thursday, BNP standing committee member Rafiqul Islam Miah said, “Constitution writer Kamal Hossain, Amir-Ul Islam and senior lawyers like Rokanuddin Mahmud have taken a stand against this.”

“This shows that Sheikh Hasina’s house is on fire. No matter how much they try, they will be destroyed,” he said.

The 16th Amendment Bill that proposes to bring back the power to remove Supreme Court judges to the Parliament is likely to get passage in this session.

The BNP has been opposing it from the beginning.

The party that is outside Parliament alleges that the Awami League is planning complete control over the judiciary through this amendment.

“The government has destroyed all three organs of the State. The administration and Parliament are under their control. Now they want the judiciary,” Rafiqul said.

Dhaka metropolitan BNP chief Mirza Abbas said judges will not be able to work independently when this Bill is passed.

“What will happen to the judge who called the prime minister wrongheaded? He will have to leave the country,” he said.

This was the alliance’s second rally within a month. BNP activists joined the rally in long marches from around the city.

Traffic was clogged from Matsya Bhaban intersection to Shahbagh for hours.

The Jamaat-e-Islami and its student affiliate Islami Chhatra Shibir joined the rally in several large processions.

Rafiqul in his speech criticised the cases against party Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman and other opposition activists.

Other BNP leaders and leaders of allied parties also spoke at the rally.