People have confidence in judiciary: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said people have trust and confidence of getting justice due to her government's initiatives for the overall development of the judiciary. "People have the trust and confidence that they will definitely get justice," she said.

She was inaugurating "Smriti Chironjib" memorial monument on the Bangladesh Supreme Court (SC) premises here as the chief guest in a programme organised by the apex court commemorating the golden jubilee of its founding. The memorial monument was built aimed at preserving the place from where Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered a speech after inaugurating the journey of the country's apex court on December 18 in 1972.

The names of 69 lawyers martyred during the country's War of Liberation in 1971 are inscribed in the memorial monument. The Prime Minister said the apex court of the country has already digitised its activities and keeping the cause lists, verdicts and case details online through which one can easily know the current situation of his or her case even staying abroad. She said that her government has set a target to transform Bangladesh into a smart country by 2041.

As part of the move, she said, they have taken measures to turn the legal system into a smart judiciary. The premier thanked the authorities concerned, particularly the chief justice, as the judiciary is well ahead on the way of make it smart. She said her government has set up virtual courts that helps decrease the huge backlog of the cases significantly. The Prime Minister said they have introduced legal aid assistances for the poor and insolvent litigants in all the courts across the country to ensure justice for all. "I believe all these measures have made easy the way of getting justice," she said.

The Prime Minister laid foundation of the SC's "Record Bhaban" at the same programme. She also unveiled the cover of a publication of the SC, "Amader Bicharaloy". A video documentary on Bangladesh's emergence as an independent country and the journey of Bangladesh Supreme Court was screened. Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was present on the dais while Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq spoke on the occasion.

Appellate Division Judge, Justice Obaidul Hassan gave the address of welcome. Attorney General of Bangladesh, Abu Mohammad Amin Uddin and Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association President Md. Momtazuddin Fakir also spoke at the function. Sheikh Hasina said her government has stopped the culture of impunity by holding the trial of the war criminals and killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members.

Military dictator Ziaur Rahman enacted indemnity ordinance to give impunity to the killers of Bangabandhu and posted them in foreign missions, she said, adding that he also stopped the trial of war criminals that was initiated by the Father of the Nation.

"It took 35 years for me to get justice and I got it after assuming office," she said and thanked all concerned including judges and lawyers who helped her in abolishing the indemnity ordinance to pave the way for starting the trial in the case.

Since assuming office, she said, her government has been working tirelessly to ensure justice for all, she continued. The Prime Minister also thanked the judiciary for the verdict declaring the 15th amendment to the constitution as illegal that stopped grabbing state power illegally and smoothened the path of democracy.

Through the verdicts, the apex court had handed over the power, which was captured in the cantonment, to the people. "The verdict will be written in red letters as it strengthened the democracy and stopped grabbing power illegally," she said.

She said they have been working to continue to run the country's judiciary, legislature and administration independently since Awami League assumed office.

About inauguration of the "Smriti Chironjib" memorial monument, she said, "I am really very happy as the daughter of the Father of the Nation to be there (SC premises) to inaugurate the monument marking 50 years of founding of the Supreme Court. It is a great achievement for me." The Prime Minister said they will establish a law university in Bangladesh aimed at ensuring world class education for the law graduates.

She said her government has already built a 15-storey Bar Council Building on the SC premises to accommodate offices for the lawyers. The premier said they will build another building to be used as offices of the lawyers due to the rise in their number.

But, she said, it will take some time as the world has been going through an economic recession due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war and its blow also hurts Bangladesh.

Despite the global economic meltdown, she said, Bangladesh is advancing ahead due to the government's efforts to keep running the wheels of the country's economy. "We need support from all to this end to make sure that the wheels of economy never stop," she said.

She said Bangladesh has become a model of development for the entire world due to its miracle development in the last 14 and a half years. The Prime Minister hoped that justice, democratic rights, socio-economic rights and cultural rights will be prevailing in Bangladesh in days to come.

"Bangladesh will march ahead at its own pace," she said.

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