The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Leaders of the major political parties welcomed the Separation of the Judiciary from the Executive yesterday, terming it as a great event in the history of the nation.

They also thanked the Caretaker Government for implementing the long awaited Separation of Judiciary from the Executive.

They said this while talking to journalists separately yesterday. The political leaders expressed the hope that the people would get justice easily without any hassles timely as an outcome of the development.

Welcoming the separation, Awami League (AL) Acting President Zillur Rahman said a new journey has begun as the longstanding demand of the people for the Separation of the Judiciary was implemented yesterday. He said the AL government led by Sheikh Hasina took some steps towards separation of the judiciary but could not implement it. The financial authority was given to the Supreme Court during the AL rule, he added.

Zillur said, "We hope that the ordinary justice-seekers will now get justice and separated judiciary will fulfill the expectation of the people."

He said it was important to ensure accountability of the judiciary side by side with its independence to rip benefit from the separation.

Acting BNP Secretary General Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed thanked the Caretaker Government for separating the judiciary from the executive and termed it as a historic development for the nation.

He claimed that the BNP Government took a number of steps towards the separation of judiciary but could not complete the task.

He said the judiciary would now be able to dispense justice without external influence, be that from the executive or otherwise.

Anti-reform BNP leader Brig Gen (retd) ASM Hannan Shah said the Caretaker Government deserves thanks for separating the judiciary from the executive fulfilling the constitutional obligation, at long last. Welcoming the separation, Gano Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain said justice would now depend on the integrity and wisdom of the judges. He suggested that a transparent process of the appointment of judges should now be implemented so that the ordinary justice seekers get justice.

Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon said the separation was a long-cherished expectation of the people but the judiciary could not be separated due to bureaucratic tangles and vested political interest groups, who were in power.

"The separation has been possible following the Supreme Court verdict and initiative of the Caretaker Government," he said, thanking the interim administration.

Menon, however, observed that independence of the judiciary has not yet been ensured. People will get benefit only if the judiciary could overcome "the disrepute of corruption and nepotism", he added.

JSD President Hasanul Huq Inu said the separation of the judiciary was a constitutional mandate and there should not be debate over it.