Bangladesh, first ever Hindu tribal appointed head of the Supreme Court
Dhaka (AsiaNews) - For the first time in
the history of Bangladesh, the
president of the Supreme Court is
a tribal Hindu. He is 64 year old judge Surendra Kumar Sinha. His
appointment was announced on
January 12 and is regarded by
many commentators as significant, whereas the majority of the country is Muslim and Hindus
were persecuted during the war of liberation from
Pakistan in 1971.
The Ministry of Grace,
Justice and Parliamentary
Affairs published an official
notification on the same day of
the appointment. The oath taking ceremony for S.K.
Sinha will be held on January 17, the day the incumbent president
- Muzammel Hossain
- officialy retires.
Belonging to the Bisnupriya Manipuri community and born
in the district of Moulovibazar,
Judge Sinha is known for having chaired numerous
historical trials, including the trial against the killers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,
father of the country and the first
president of independent
Bangladesh.
As chairman of a committee of the Supreme Court, in 2010, Sinha declared the Fifth
Amendment of the Constitution illegal. Introduced in 1979 by
General Zia-ur-Rahman, it cancelled the
principle of secularism in the
preamble of the Charter and
proclaimed martial law. Once abrogated, the high court ruled that Bangladesh is
a secular state.
In 2012, the court has also abolished the 13th
Amendment, which provided - in the case of
general elections - for the creation of a non-party
caretaker government, which acted as the
interim government and led the country
towards a peaceful and impartial vote.
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08/08/2018 13:11
