'If 5th, 7th amendments were illegal, so were charters'
Dhaka, Aug 29 (bdnews24.com)—BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury says if the fifth and seventh amendments to the constitution are illegal, then parliaments of that time are illegitimate.
"Even the votes that were given to elect the then parliaments are also illegal," he said.
On Aug 26, the High Court declared unconstitutional the Seventh Amendment that had ratified former military strongman HM Ershad's regime. Seven months before, the country's top constitutional court in Feb declared the Fifth Amendment illegal.
It had declared illegal the regimes of Khondker Moshtaq Ahmed, Abu Sa'adat Mohammad Sayem and Ziaur Rahman between Aug 15, 1975 and 1979.
He was speaking at a discussion organised by Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal at the BNP's metropolitan office at Naya Paltan.
The BNP leader also slated the High Court judges for their role during military rule. "Our justices vow to protect the constitution. But they support the powerful in tough times."
The constitution runs into crisis when the judiciary becomes 'politically ambitious'. Consequently, the continuation of the constitution and political stability gets lost, he viewed.
"Justices in many countries of the world were made chief of the state or were forced to administer oath to chiefs during martial law."
"At that time, they also said they did it to protect the constitution."
Many judges were still in service because Ziaur Rahman, HM Ershad and Khaleda Zia-led governments increased the justices' retirement time, he said.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who fought for democracy until his death, was pressured to establish one-party rule like 'BAKSAL', he claimed.
"The people who pressured him to establish one-party rule are now around my cousin prime minister Sheikh Hasina. I warn her of them."
BNP's senior secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam presided over the discussion.
"Even the votes that were given to elect the then parliaments are also illegal," he said.
On Aug 26, the High Court declared unconstitutional the Seventh Amendment that had ratified former military strongman HM Ershad's regime. Seven months before, the country's top constitutional court in Feb declared the Fifth Amendment illegal.
It had declared illegal the regimes of Khondker Moshtaq Ahmed, Abu Sa'adat Mohammad Sayem and Ziaur Rahman between Aug 15, 1975 and 1979.
He was speaking at a discussion organised by Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal at the BNP's metropolitan office at Naya Paltan.
The BNP leader also slated the High Court judges for their role during military rule. "Our justices vow to protect the constitution. But they support the powerful in tough times."
The constitution runs into crisis when the judiciary becomes 'politically ambitious'. Consequently, the continuation of the constitution and political stability gets lost, he viewed.
"Justices in many countries of the world were made chief of the state or were forced to administer oath to chiefs during martial law."
"At that time, they also said they did it to protect the constitution."
Many judges were still in service because Ziaur Rahman, HM Ershad and Khaleda Zia-led governments increased the justices' retirement time, he said.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who fought for democracy until his death, was pressured to establish one-party rule like 'BAKSAL', he claimed.
"The people who pressured him to establish one-party rule are now around my cousin prime minister Sheikh Hasina. I warn her of them."
BNP's senior secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam presided over the discussion.
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