AG blasts Dr Kamal, Amir

Attorney General (AG) Mahabubey Alam has criticised Dr Kamal Hossain and Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam for teaming up with Khandker Mahbub Hossain, who defends Jamaat-e-Islami leaders accused of war crimes, against the government’s initiative to restore Parliament’s power to impeach judges. The state’s top lawyer said at a discussion on Thursday that the two were blessed by none other than Bangladesh’s founder Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. ‘Who are they allying with,’ he asked, ‘those who hold media conferences for the war criminals!’ Alam wondered why the two had taken a U-turn now. Kamal Hossain was the chairman and Amir-Ul Islam the member of the committee that drafted Bangladesh’s first Constitution in 1972. ‘They didn’t talk about Article 96 then but why now?’ asked the top lawyer. Article 96 empowered Parliament to remove judges. But the power was bestowed on the president through the 4th Amendment, according to a news agency.