Dhaka: Judiciary Reform Commission has proposed making the country’s judiciary fully independent, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said today. “Although previous governments had stated that the judiciary was independent, but it was not independent at all. That’s why the Judiciary Reform Commission proposes making the judiciary fully independent,” he told a press briefing in front of the State Guest House Jamuna here this afternoon.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, earlier in the day, Judiciary Reform Commission chief Justice Shah Abu Naeem Mominur Rahman and Public Administration Reform Commission chairman Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury handed over their respective commissions’ reports to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at Jamuna. Members of the commissions were present on the occasion.
Speaking at the press briefing, Shafiqul stated that the Judiciary Reform Commission’s report is a comprehensive 52-page document. In some instances, constitutional amendments would be necessary to fully implement the recommendations. The commission also proposed the introduction of a permanent attorney service by hiring manpower following procedures similar to BCS.
Additionally, the commission recommended the establishment of a separate investigation agency. Typically, police investigate crimes in the country, and there are instances where political governments have influenced these investigations. The proposed agency aims to address issues of faulty or manipulated investigations conducted by the police.
Shafiqul further mentioned the proposal for the establishment of permanent benches of the Supreme Court at the divisional level, magistrate courts at the upazila level, and the expansion of legal services at the village level. Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretaries Abul Kalam Azad Majumder and Apurba Jahangir, along with Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahammad, were present at the press briefing.