Masdar Hossain case verdict should be reviewed: Muhith

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said the verdict on the popularly known 'Masdar Hossain case', pertaining to separation of the judiciary from the executive, should be reviewed.

He made the observation while addressing a workshop in Dhaka on Saturday in presence of the chief justice, the law minister and the law secretary.

 

“I want to humbly say that Masdar Hossain case should be reviewed so that a balance of power is established between various government institutions.”

 

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Dec 2, 1999, delivered an historic verdict separating the judiciary from the executive in a case filed by Masdar Hossain.

The Appellate Division dissolved the judicial cadre of the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) for being incompatible with the Constitution and declared the judicial services as independent service.

 

The apex court also issued a set of directives to the government for segregating the judiciary from the executive division.

 

Following the verdict, the judiciary was separated from the executive branch on Nov 1, 2007.

 

A separate secretariat for the judiciary is yet to be established in line with the order.

 

The Ministry of Law pursues the secretarial tasks following the Supreme Court’s directives.

 

Establishment of the judicial secretariat, however, got the priority in the latest budget.

 

The workshop on ‘Digitalisation of Bangladesh Judiciary’ was jointly organised by the Supreme Court and the UNDP.

 

Chief Justice SK Sinha and Law Minister Anisul Huq, among others, addressed the workshop attended by the SC judges along with the officials of the law ministry.