Journalists, lawyer, newspaper owners behind ex-chief justice Sinha’s book: Hasina

Sheikh Hasina has said she has information that journalists, lawyers and newspaper owners in Bangladesh have helped with the publication of former chief justice SK Sinha’s book.

The prime minister touched on the issue at a news conference in New York on Friday after attending the UN General Assembly.

But she declined to take names and instead asked the journalists to find them out.

The former chief justice said in the book, “A Broken Dream: Rule of Law, Human Rights and Democracy”, that the government “exiled” him after he had resigned “in the face of intimidation and threats”.

The book is scheduled to be released in Washington DC on Saturday.

“Please find out who were behind the book? How many times the manuscript had gone to Bangladesh and to whom? Who is funding the launch? Is someone from Bangladesh providing the money? Are journalists involved? Which newspaper or newspaper owners are providing support? Which journalist of which newspaper helped in writing the script?” Hasina asked the press corp.

“Please find these out. I know but I won’t tell you. I want you to find these out,” she said.  

Justice Sinha had faced criticism from the ruling Awami League over the verdict of the 16th amendment to the constitution and left the country on leave in October last year. Later, he submitted his resignation from abroad.

The government said he was sick, but before leaving Bangladesh on Oct 13, Justice Sinha said he was 'not sick, but embarrassed' at the criticism by the ruling Awami League.

He also said Hasina might have 'felt hurt' because 'a quarter misinterpreted the verdict to her'.

In his book, he said the prime minister and other members of her party and ministers “blasted me for going against the parliament”.

After his resignation, the Supreme Court said in a rare statement that Justice Sinha had been facing 11 specific charges, including corruption, money laundering, financial irregularities and moral blunder.

The Anti-Corruption Commission recently quizzed a former managing director of the Farmers Bank and five other officials of the bank as it is weighing whether to start an investigation against Justice Sinha.

An expatriate journalist said Justice Sinha owns a house in New Jersey and asked the prime minister whether her government would do anything about it.

“It’s not difficult to buy a house in America. It’s rather hard in Bangladesh now. You can own a house here (in the US) by submitting a single deposit. Measures will be taken if you can find out who bought a house and and,” Hasina replied.

Speaking about the upcoming general election, she said the term “election-time government” is “undefined in Bangladesh”.

She said she talked to the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Raushon Ershad about the issue.

“We may conduct the election by forming a government during the election with the people’s representatives in parliament, whether from the ruling party or the opposition, if they (opposition) want all (to be in that government),” Hasina said.    

On being asked about the Digital Security Act passed in parliament on Sept 19, which has sparked fears that freedom of press will be hindered, the prime minister said the law “would not muffle the media’s voice”.

“Why would journalists see their own interests selfishly when we need to prevent occurrences like incitement to terrorism and militancy, hampering of social security, derailing of the children and the youth?” she asked.         

Hasina said no journalist should be afraid if they do not commit the crime of spreading false information.

Cybercrime is being seen as a problem across the globe now, she said and added that journalists should check what laws similar to the Digital Security Act are there in the other countries.

She also said India and China’s stance on the Rohingya issue should not be viewed in a negative light.

“All the countries have come forward with help. India and China are helping them (Myanmar) build houses for the Rohingyas.

"They are also pushing Myanmar to take the Rohingya refugees back. All the countries have their own ways of work. We should not see these negatively,” Hasina said.

Russia was also pressuring Myanmar in its own way to resolve the Rohingya crisis, the prime minister added.