BNP senior leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy on Tuesday described the conviction of former Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha by a special court in a money-laundering case as a ‘bad precedent’’.
"There’s nothing to condemn or accept (verdict against Sinha). My personal opinion is that SK Sinha was good as long as he could appease the government’s desires as the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice has been sentenced to 11 years; an example has been set,” he said.
Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader also said this verdict has also sent out a message that there is no guarantee that those who are now in the court will never face the same fate.
“If the job is to protect by satisfying the (current) government, then you may have to go to jail to satisfy the next one. Such an example can never be good for any nation. But the current Prime Minister can’t understand it,” he observed.
Gayeshwar, also a BNP standing committee member, said the day Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will realize the consequences of bad practices she will have nothing to do.
Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (Jasas), the cultural wing of BNP, arranged the programme at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU), marking what it calls “civil-military uprising’ on November 7 in 1975.
Earlier in the day, a special court in Dhaka sentenced former chief justice Surendra Kumar (SK) Sinha to 11 years’ imprisonment in a case filed over laundering Tk 4 crore.
The court also fined the ex-chief justice Tk 45 lakh, in default, to suffer six months more rigorous imprisonment.
Gayeshwar said politicians should not have any greed for power if they do politics for the welfare of people. “If power is meant only for looting and making fortune, then Sheikh Hasina is a perfect example in Bangladesh, and she is successful in that case.”
He also said Hasina has been governing the country standing against the hopes and aspirations of people.
