Dhaka, Aug 25 (IANS): Bangladesh's opposition alliance Monday announced a three-day nationwide protest opposing the government's move to restore parliament's authority to impeach apex court judges.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) joint secretary Rizvi Ahmed made the announcement of the protest at a press conference Monday, saying the current parliament has been formed through a election amid boycott by the then main opposition BNP and its allies, Xinhua reported.
"Any decision to amend the constitution to empower parliamentarians to impeach apex court judges will be the decision of ruling Bangladesh Awami League party only as 154 lawmakers were elected unopposed in the Jan 5 general elections," he said.
The opposition will stage demonstrations at 18 points in the capital Wednesday and also form human chains across the country Aug 30, he said.
The cabinet Aug 18 gave its nod to the draft to amend the country's Constitution to empower parliament members to impeach apex court judges, a step the opposition described as an attempt to mute dissenting voices.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir blamed the bill for trying to curb the independence of the judiciary.
Cabinet Secretary Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan had, however, advocated the proposal, saying it would help raise public confidence in the independence of the judiciary system.
In Bangladesh's 1972 Constitution, Article 96 allowed parliament to impeach supreme court judges for proven offences or incapability by a vote of a two-thirds majority.
Late President Ziaur Rahman, founder of BNP, canceled it and bestowed the power to a Supreme Judicial Council through the fifth amendment of the Constitution.
According to the existing constitutional provision, the Supreme Judicial Council comprising the chief justice and two other seniormost judges of the Appellate Division investigates allegations of misconduct against any judge and makes necessary recommendations to the president.
The president then takes steps according to the suggestions.