ERDF slams open letter to PM over Yunus case as bid to interfere in judiciary

The Education Research and Development Forum of Bangladesh (ERDFB) has said that the open letter issued by more than 160 global leaders to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina calling for suspension of judicial trial against Prof Mohammad Yunus was an attempt to interfere with the judiciary of an independent country, reports UNB.
"The Education Research and Development Forum of Bangladesh (ERDFB) believes that the judiciary of Bangladesh is completely independent and everything is governed by the law. An independent judiciary makes decisions based on evidence and there is no scope for anyone to interfere," the statement reads
"According to Article 22 of the Constitution of Bangladesh, the judiciary is completely separate and independent from the executive," it said.
The ERDFB called the letter a "threat to Bangladesh's sovereignty."
"We firmly assert that the rule of law exists in the country and no one is above the law. Making statements or letters about pending cases without knowing the law and judiciary of Bangladesh, without proper review, is an unconstitutional interference in the independent judiciary and judiciary of independent Bangladesh," it said.
The organisation called on the signatories to withdraw the statement "out of respect for the independent judicial system of Bangladesh."