Bangladesh gets independent judiciary
2 days ago
DHAKA (AFP) — Bangladesh’s government gave up its executive control over the judiciary, ending a practice that dates back to British rule over the Indian subcontinent.
The move to free up the courts from politics is a key element of sweeping reforms being put in place by the country’s emergency government, which has pledged to root out corruption once and for all before new elections next year.
“Undoubtedly, it is a historic and momentous day in the history of Bangladesh,” said Fakhruddin Ahmed, the head of the army-backed administration.
“After 200 years of colonial rule and some 36 years after the establishment of independent Bangladesh, today the country’s judiciary has been separated from the executive branch, as per directive of the constitution,” he said.
“This day will be a milestone in establishing the rule of law and justice.”
Bangladesh inherited its judicial system from the British colonial rulers when it was part of India.
But the country’s judiciary has since become notorious for political interference, rampant corruption and snail-paced proceedings.
The country’s Supreme Court ordered the government to make the judiciary independent in 1995, but successive democratically elected governments dragged their feet – apparently seeing control over the courts as an perk of power.
“A system of checks and balances failed to work. Corruption and administrative power prevailed over the rule of law and justice,” interim law minister Mainul Hosein said.
Bangladesh has been under emergency rule by the military-backed government since January, when elections were cancelled after months of turmoil over vote-rigging allegations by a former government.
The emergency government’s reforms have also included a crackdown on corruption, which has seen more than 150 leading figures detained – including the country’s two most recent prime ministers, Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and Sheikh Hasina Wajed of the Awami League.
Read this couple days back. Did Bangladesh just wave us by?
Interesting.
