PM: Govt and judiciary must not be in conflict

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the three state organs - judiciary, legislature and executive - to maintain a better relationship. Speaking on Saturday at the inauguration of the newly constructed Judges Complex, a residential complex for Supreme Court judges in Dhaka's Kakrail, Hasina took a reconciliatory tone to grievances raised by the chief justice. Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, who spoke at the event said the prime minister had been misled about some major decisions involving the judiciary, while he himself had been sidelined. Vested quarters were engaged in trying to create distance between the judiciary and the government, he said. The prime minister in response said the three organs of the state should not be involved in a show of strength towards each other. “The organs of the state complement each other. No one has power over the other. The nation will not function properly if the state organs are in conflict,” she said. The Law Ministry since August last year has been stalling the Supreme Court on issuing a gazette notification on conduct rules for judges, which emerged from the 1997 State vs Masdar Hossain case. Another contentious issue has been the ministry's non-confirmation of judge Farid Ahmed Shibli as a High Court justice in February this year. Farid Ahmed Shibli and nine others were appointed as additional justices in February 2015, but he was left out from the ministry gazette this year despite the chief justice's recommendation. "As per the Constitution, the president will consult the Chief Justice while appointing judges, but finally it is the president's decision. “If confusion arises, it should be settled through consultation with the president, and this is the right path. I have no power of my own in this matter,” she said. Regarding the Judges Complex, prime minister said the residential complex was constructed considering the safety and security of the judges as well as modern housing facilities. The prime minister unveiled the plaque of the 20-storey Judges Complex of 76 flats, built on 1.5 acres land at Kakrail in Dhaka.