Hours after the Chief Justice’s decision to resign, five more judges from the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division resigned.
His resignation on Saturday comes five days after Attorney General AM Amin Uddin resigned, signalling the caretaker government’s intention to take swift legal action over recent incidents in order to meet protesters’ demands and calm the situation on the ground.
The interim government now appears to have a team of judges and law clerks selected to implement its plan. The new Chief Justice, Ahmed, studied law in Dhaka, Oxford University and at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in the US.
Lawsuits filed between July 1 and August 5 will be dismissed.
Hasnat Abdullah, one of the coordinators of the Students Against Discrimination Movement, had demanded that Ahmed (a High Court judge) be appointed as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court by 6 pm on Saturday.
Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor ASM Maqsood Kamal and Bangla Academy Chairman Professor Md Harun-ur-Rashid Askari also resigned on Saturday.
The five Supreme Court judges who sent their resignations to the president through the Ministry of Law on Saturday are Justice M. Enayetul Rahim, Justice Mohammed Abu Zafor Siddiq, Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim, Justice Mohammed Shahinur Islam and Justice Kashfa Hussain.
Obaidul Hassan was appointed chief justice last year but protesters targeted him as they see him as a loyalist of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Protesters who began besieging the Supreme Court at about 10.30am had left by 2pm after it became clear an hour earlier that Hassan had decided to resign. “We feel the need to share some special news with you. The Chief Justice has resigned a few minutes ago. His resignation letter has already been received by the Ministry of Law and Politics,” adviser on legal, judicial and parliamentary affairs Professor Asif Nazrul said in a video message on Saturday afternoon.
Earlier, Hassan told reporters present at the Supreme Court that his resignation was taking into consideration the safety of Supreme Court, High Court and lower court judges, according to the Daily Star.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Law and Politics has decided to take steps within three working days to withdraw all cases filed between July 1 and August 5 and release those arrested in these cases from child detention centres. The students alleged that these cases were filed to suppress the recent nationwide protests by students seeking to oust Hasina’s government. According to sources, a meeting of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs also decided to take action against those involved in the murders that took place during the same period. The Ministry of Law and Politics has also decided to act expeditiously to withdraw cases filed under Bangladesh’s Anti-Terrorism Act and Cyber Security Act.
Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy said in Washington that his mother “never formally resigned and has not had time to step down”, adding: “Constitutionally, she is still prime minister.”
