No scope for revisiting Khaleda’s treatment abroad plea: Law minister

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq said there is no scope for revisiting the plea of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's treatment abroad.

"Khaleda Zia's bail was conditional. Many have been requesting to allow her to go abroad for advanced treatment revising the conditions. But we have no scope to revisit this," the minister told a programme on Wednesday and added that they (the government) had to move under laws.

The minister said there were two provisions of bail – conditional and unconditional. "If Khaleda goes into jail again, she can apply for unconditional bail."

Anisul Huq was speaking as chief guest at the annual general meeting of the Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) in the capital.

On the matter of forming an election commission (EC), the law minister said President Abdul Hamid initiated dialogue with the political parties to form a search committee to ultimately form the election commission.

The next EC would be formed as per the decision taken by the president, he added, saying, "There is no scope for disputes regarding the formation of the EC."

"Even I want an act to form the EC. But, we have no time at hand. It would not be right to issue an ordinance in this regard, bypassing parliament," he said.

Huq said the search committee would be formed with a senior justice of the Appellate Division, a justice from the High Court Division, chairman of the Public Service Commission, and the auditor and comptroller general. All of the aforementioned hold constitutional posts. The remaining two members for the search committee would be from civil society.

"There would be no political person in this search committee. This search committee would nominate 10 persons and send the names to the president," the law minister said.

Talking about the Digital Security Act (DSA), he said Bangladesh needed this law.

"I know there were instances of misuse of this act. We have taken initiative to stop such misuse and now no journalists are being arrested immediately after the filing of a case under this act," he added. 

This act was not enacted to curb freedom of speech and press freedom, he said.

CRAB President Mizan Malik, its General Secretary Alauddin Arif, National Press Club President Saiful Alam, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Director General, Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, and Dhaka Reporters Unity President Nazrul Islam Mithu, among others, were present at the event.