Bangladesh judge says not fleeing the country

dhaka — Bangladesh’s chief justice expressed fears for judicial independence in the country as he flew to Australia Saturday, after widespread speculation that he was pressured to take leave over a landmark verdict that went against the government.

Surendra Kumar Sinha began a one-month absence from his role at the beginning of October, just months after leading the Supreme Court in scrapping parliament’s power to sack top judges — a move hailed by lawyers as a crucial safeguard for a secular judiciary in the Muslim-majority nation.

In a written statement issued before his departure, Sinha said he was a “bit worried about the independence

I’m fully well, but the way a political quarter, lawyers, and especially some honourable ministers of the government and the honourable prime minister are criticising me recently over a verdict made me embarrassed. Surendra Kumar Sinha, Bangladesh’s chief justice

of the judiciary”, expressing dismay over criticism he has faced from the government over the August ruling on judicial dismissals.

Sinha, who insisted he would return to Bangladesh once his leave ends on November 10, rejected claims by the country’s justice minister that his absence was due to illness.

“I’m not sick. I’m not fleeing. I’ll come back,” Sinha said, adding that his leave was “in the interests of the judiciary”.

“I’m fully well, but the way a political quarter, lawyers, and especially some honourable ministers of the government and the honourable prime minister are criticising me recently over a verdict made me embarrassed.”

Bangladesh’s top bar association has repeatedly said Sinha was being forced to take leave.

“The Supreme Court Bar Association thinks he has done none of these things willingly,” said Zainul Abedin, a pro-opposition lawyer who heads the association.

“The government has done these activities after putting enormous pressure on him,” Abedin told AFP, accusing the government of hounding the judiciary.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina brought in a constitutional change allowing the parliament — controlled by her Awami League party — to remove top judges in 2014. But that was overturned by the Supreme Court ruling in August. —