AL to discuss both CJ letters, take decision today: Quader

Ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) general secretary Obaidul Quader has said a working committee meeting of the party would discuss both the letters of chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha this evening, Saturday.

“We need to discuss both the letters [leave letter and letter to newsmen]. We’ve invited the law minister, Anisul Huq, who unequivocally said the chief justice was sick and sought the leave on health grounds, to the meeting,” Quader told reporters after attending a reception programme at the Viqarunnisa Noon School and College in the capital. 

Also the road transport and bridges minister, Quader went on to say, “We will take a decision in this regard in today’s working committee meeting.”

The AL working committee meeting will be held with prime minister and AL president Sheikh Hasina in the chair at Ganabhaban this evening.

While leaving his Hare Road residence for the airport to catch an Australia-bound flight on Friday night, chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha dismissed reports of his ill health saying he is “"completely in good health”.

He also told newsmen that he was going abroad temporarily to save the judiciary from blemish and will return shortly for the “sake of the country’s judiciary”.

In the letter handed out to waiting newsmen at the main entrance of his official residence, Sinha said that he is embarrassed at the criticism levelled at him by the prime minister, ministers, and political leadership over a verdict.

Earlier on 2 October, law and parliamentary affairs minister Anisul Huq claimed that chief justice Sinha applied for one month’s leave as he was suffering from different types of illness including cancer.

Sinha along with his wife flew for Australia by a Singapore Airlines flight at 11:55pm Friday night. He left his residence around 10:00pm.

Source: Prothom Alo