‘No one can get impunity except President’

Staff Correspondent: The High Court has made seven observations over the Supreme Court administration’s letter to the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) about retired Judge Joynul Abedin.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim passed the order with 7-point observation on Tuesday.

“The impugned letter has impaired as well as tarnished the image and dignity of the highest court of the country in the estimation of the public at large,” the High Court observed.

The court also warned the ACC and other investigating agencies to be careful while investigating against a retired judge because it involves the status of Supreme Court and judiciary. Nobody can get impunity except the President, it also said.


After the verdict, ACC's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said that the verdict has proved that it is illegal to give such a letter. There is no legal basis.

He also said through the verdict there is no bar to continue the investigation against Joynul Abedin.

The letter had said it would not be appropriate for the ACC to take action against Justice Joynul Abedin, a former apex court judge who went on retirement on December 31, 2009.
On October 9, the HC issued the rule asking the then SC registrar general, the then additional registrar, Justice Joynul and the ACC chairman to explain as to why the letter should not be declared illegal.

The bench passed the order after SC lawyer Badiuzzaman Tafader placed a copy of the letter before the HC bench for necessary order.

The ACC on March 2 sent a letter to the SC's registrar general's office, asking for documents regarding the service, salaries and relevant benefits received by Justice Joynul for conducting an enquiry into his wealth.

In response, the SC administration on March 28 sent the letter, signed by the then Additional Registrar of the Appellate Division of the SC Arunav Chakraborty, to the anti-graft watchdog, saying that if action is taken against the former SC judge, it will call into question all the verdicts he delivered.



risingbd/Dhaka/Nov 14, 2017/Mehadi/Mukul