Leader of the Opposition and of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has criticised the government for the dissolution of the Supreme Court Secretariat through the removal of 15 judges and their subsequent attachment to the law ministry.

“The independent judicial secretariat has effectively met its untimely death, and that happened just yesterday (Tuesday),” he said in a Facebook post today.

“The message is clear -- to establish absolute political influence and control over the judiciary. Ironically, this very government had pledged to ensure a fully independent and stronger judiciary. What a tragic contradiction. I despise this toxic culture. One day, this will change on the soil of Bengal, In sha Allah,” he added.

Yesterday, the law ministry issued a gazette notification stating that the 15 judges, who had been serving as officials of the Supreme Court Secretariat, have been attached to the law ministry in consultation with the Supreme Court, with a view to assigning them to competent offices later.

In reaction, Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir, a lawyer for Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami who has fought a series of legal battles to establish the Supreme Court Secretariat, said the government had committed serious contempt of court by abolishing the secretariat and transferring the 15 judges to the law ministry.

Shishir Manir said the state had initially indicated it would file an appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the High Court verdict directing the government to establish the Supreme Court Secretariat.

“Such conduct is seriously contemptuous. We have already issued a contempt notice and will soon file a contempt petition,” he added.

Claiming the government was not in favour of reforms, he said, “They are not in favour of giving judges independence. They want to keep judges under their control.”