SCBA urges govt to appoint next CJ on seniority basis

Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Khandker Mahbub Hossain Wednesday warned the government of "dire consequences" if it appoints the next Chief Justice (CJ) ignoring seniority, reports UNB. "Government is planning to appoint next CJ purely on political consideration, ignoring the seniority of the Appellate Division judges," he alleged while addressing an emergency general meeting of the SCBA executive committee. The SCBA president said that according to the seniority list, Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman deserves the highest post of the judiciary after the incumbent CJ ABM Khairul Haque who goes on retirement on May 18. He said that if the government follows the seniority list in appointing the CJ, Justice Shah ANM Mominur Rahman will be the next head of the caretaker government (CG) as per the existing constitutional provision. "Don't appoint the next CJ from partisan point of view by ignoring the seniority list," said Khandker Mahbub, also BNP chairperson's adviser. The main opposition political party would not also accept it, he added. Earlier, the SCBA meeting urged the President to take appropriate decision on the appointment of the next CJ upholding the seniority, as the lawyers would not accept any appointment of super session. The meeting also urged the government to appoint judges in the High Court (HC) division based on merit and frame a specific guideline to this effect. The meeting was also addressed, among others, by Barrister Jamir Uddin Sircar, Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokan and ABM Nurul Islam.