Shawdesh Desk:

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said that an independent judiciary, strong parliament and administration can take a country towards development.

‘After coming to power we have made judiciary totally independent by separating it from the administration in fulfilling the belief of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,’ she said.

The prime minister said this while addressing the valedictory session of the two-day International Conference on South Asian Constitutional Courts in the Twenty-First Century: Lessons from Bangladesh and India at Bangabandhu International Conference Center.

She said that the government had separated the judiciary from the administration by allocating separate budget for it.

The Judiciary, she said, was previously dependent on the government for financial matters.

Besides, she mentioned that the Awami League government had enacted law for the formulation of an independent Election Commission in Bangladesh.

She also said that the Election Commission was earlier attached to the prime minister office.

‘We have made the EC independent completely and allocated separate funds for it,’ said the prime minister.

‘That means we believe in the independence of the EC, and the Awami League government can make that happen,’ she said.

The prime minister said that her government had included an article in the Constitution, as per the verdict of the High Court, making illegal grabbing of state power a punishable offence.

‘By this inclusion, I can say, the basic rights of the people, democratic right, have been protected,’ she said.

Hasina said that Bangladesh had achieved the recognition of a developing country effective from 2026.

‘Inshallah by 2041 we will be able to make Bangladesh developed and prosperous Golden Bangladesh to materialise the ideals of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,’ she asserted.

Chief Justice of Bangladesh Justice Obaidul Hassan, Chief Justice of India Justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs Anisul Huq and Justice M Enayetur Rahim of Appellate Division also spoke at the programme.