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Published : 03 Oct 2017, 08:03 PM
Sinha was not pressured into taking a month’s leave, Huq told reporters at the secretariat on Tuesday.
His decision to go on leave was announced on Monday, a day before the Supreme Court opened after a one-month break.
The law minister said he “hopes and prays” that the chief justice would return to office at the end of his leave.
“This has no connection with the 16th amendment,” he said, replying to reporters.
But some people have been making ‘wayward’ statements to allege a connection, he said.
Sinha, who had on various occasions pulled up the government for “undermining” the judiciary, has three months left in office before his retirement.
The Awami League-led government had passed the amendment in 2014, to empower parliament to sack top judges over misconduct or incapacity.
In a ruling, the High Court annulled the amendment last year for being “inconsistent with the constitution”.
The decision was later upheld by an appellate bench headed by Chief Justice Sinha this year, a move widely seen as a significant blow to the government.
Some of the chief justice's observations in the verdict have antagonised stalwarts in the ruling Awami League.
Pro-Awami League lawyers had threatened to start a campaign against him after the end of the court's vacation phase.
“We have the right to discuss and criticise the full verdict. Being the aggrieved side, we have passed a proposal in parliament about what our next legal steps will be,” Huq said.
“We will obviously take legal steps but that has nothing to do with the chief justice’s illness. If someone tries to connect the two, I’ll say they mean to cause mischief.”
Asked to comment on the claims by BNP leaders that the chief justice was forced to take leave form office, Huq said: “What they are saying is baseless, and devoid of evidence.
“I don’t have to respond to useless remarks … I hope and pray that he will return to his office after the end of his leave.”
