The BNP has claimed that former Appellate Division judge Justice Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik has brought controversy to the judiciary through his recent comments asking the chief justice to stand down “for acting as the spokesperson of Khaleda Zia.”
Strongly condemning the remarks of the former judge, BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said: “The ex-justice rather tried to implement the political agenda of the Awami League by making such a comment involving our party chief.”
After handing over documents of the judgments and orders he finished writing after retiring to the Supreme Court on Monday, Justice Manik said: “A retired judge cannot write judgements ... Khaleda Zia said this long ago. Now he [chief justice] is saying this [again] as her spokesperson to fulfill her agenda. He has a political motivation.
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Justice Shamsuddin returns case documents to SC Justice Manik requests CJ to accept verdicts written in retirementJustice Manik seeks Chief Justice’s impeachment Justice Shamsuddin returns case documents to SC“The CJ said that the executive wing of the state had been taking away the autonomy of judiciary, which is not true at all. He is spreading false information to ruin the government’s popularity ... I think he should step down.
“How come he is still holding the position of chief justice even after confessing that he was a member of a peace committee [during the Liberation War]?”
While addressing a press briefing at party’s Nayapaltan headquarters, Rizvi said: “The people of the country are well aware of whose spokesperson you were before retiring as a judge of the apex court.”
“Whenever he [Justice Manik] speaks, he speaks like a butcher. His comments does not convey the message that he was a judge of the Supreme court.”
When he was a High Court judge in 2012, Justice Manik had accused the then speaker of the Parliament Abdul Hamid, now the president, of committing an offence tantamount to sedition.
He accused Hamid for making a comment in the House on a High Court order.
He also said the speaker was completely ignorant of the apex court and the constitution.
Following his comments, the MPs reacted sharply and blasted Justice Manik.
In an unscheduled discussion in the parliament on June 5, 2012, they accused him of violating the constitution for making derogatory remarks about the speaker.
