Saiful Islam, Rangpur Bureau
Judges and lawyers of Rangpur have united to establish the rule of law by holding a seminar and forming a human chain on the theme of justice, independent divisional secretariat. On Tuesday (July 8), the Rangpur Bar Association organized a seminar titled “Relevance and Actions of the Independent Judicial Secretariat” and united in a human chain. Rangpur District and Sessions Judge Fazle Khoda Md. Nazir delivered the keynote address, Joint District and Sessions Judge (Land Survey Tribunal, Rangpur) presented the keynote address, Metropolitan Sessions Judge, Metropolitan, Rangpur Md. Mashiur Rahman delivered the special guest address, Rangpur Bar Association General Secretary Advocate Aftab Uddin delivered the welcome address, Joint Secretary Advocate AKM Harun Ur Rashid delivered the joint secretary address, Rangpur Bar Association President Shahed Kamal Ibne Khatib delivered the president address), Advocate Raich Uddin Badsha delivered the keynote address, senior journalist Saiful Islam and others were present. At the seminar, all judges and lawyers immediately raised strong demands for an independent judicial secretariat. Earlier in the morning, Bar Association President Adv. Shahed Kamal Ibne Khatib, General Secretary Adv. Aftab Uddin, Adv. AKM Harun Or Rashid and others spoke at the human chain at the court premises in Rangpur demanding an independent judiciary secretariat to establish the rule of law Due to the lack of an independent judicial secretariat, judges are unable to conduct independent and impartial trials. As a result, the just and fair justice system is being hindered, lawyers said. The speakers said, “Judicial separation was done in 2007 but there was no separate secretariat. Even though there is judicial separation, we are not able to enjoy its benefits. Since the judiciary is under the executive branch, they are interfering nakedly.” They said that during the previous government’s tenure, a judge granted bail to a defendant. Then the judge was pressured by the secretariat to cancel the bail. Due to the lack of a separate secretariat, our judges are also unable to perform their judicial duties independently. Many judges told us that there is pressure from the secretariat in hearing cases, so they are unable to give independent and accurate judgments. They also say that no judgment can be free from error except the judgment of the Creator. Judges may also make some unwitting wrong decisions, but if they feel that an independent judicial secretariat is necessary to carry out their independent and impartial judicial functions, then it needs to be implemented without delay.