The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The remarks by the administrative cadre officers opposing separation of the judiciary from the executive control drew sharp reaction from various corners of the society. Leading lawyers have termed the meeting of the administrative cadre officials as tantamount to 'contempt of court'.

Bangladesh Civil Service Coordination Committee that represents several cadres other than the administration Monday stood against any effort to halt the separation plan.

In a statement to media, the committee accused the administration cadre of conspiring against the plan.

"No sane person can accept such a disorder from one group of cadre out of 29 cadres of the public administration," the statement signed by the committee's publicity secretary Mushtaq Hossain.

It said it was clear that the judiciary could not be separated from the executive because of the administration cadre's "ill-intent".

"The matter of the separation is part of the democratic system," it said.

The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) yesterday suggested the Government to go ahead with its judiciary separation plan. CPB president Monjurul Ahsan Khan and General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim in a joint statement expressed surprise and concern about the negative response of administration cadre officials.

The CPB leaders, however, said that a few amendments were necessary to the existing rules for further ensuring independence of the Judiciary. At the same time, they suggested the Government to come out of the complexities through dialogue with the representatives of the administration cadre officers.

Dhaka Bar Association president Advocate Fakir Delwar Hossain and general secretary Advocate Golam Mostafa Khan in a joint statement to the press said: "The holding of the meeting by the administrative officials and speaking against the verdict of the court amounted to contempt of court."

Dhaka Metropolitan Bar Association president Advocate Shah Iliyas Ratan in a statement said, "The lawyers' community will not tolerate any conspiracy against the separation of the judiciary from the executive branch."