By Anisur RahmanDhaka, Oct 14 (PTI) Surendra Kumar Sinha, Bangladesh'sfirst Hindu Chief Justice, is believed to have been forced togo on a leave amid reports that the government was upset withhim over his decision to scrap parliament's authority inimpeaching Supreme Court judges.
Sinha, 66, left for Australia last night, saying he was"embarrassed" over the controversy surrounding his Julyruling. He also denied claims by the government that he wassick.
"I am the guardian of the judiciary, in the interest ofthe judiciary I am leaving temporarily so that its image doesnot get hurt. I will return," he said ahead of his departurefor Australia.
But Sinha added he "firmly believes" his stance over arecent verdict was misinterpreted to the government, upsettingPrime Minister Sheikh Hasina but expected her to realise thefact soon.
He also rejected an earlier claim by Law Minister AnisulHuq about his sickness while his leave application toPresident Abdul Hamid was being processed.
"I am not sick, I am well... I am not fleeing either,"the chief justice told newsmen in front of his officialresidence while on his way to the airport.
He also issued a written statement, in first such mediainteraction since the government announced his one-month "sickleave" beginning October 3.
Sinha, however, added the way a "political quarter,lawyers, and especially some honourable ministers of thegovernment and the honourable prime minister are criticisingme recently over a verdict embarrassed me".
The government row with the higher judiciary sparked inJuly this year when the apex court delivered a verdictdeclaring void the 16th constitutional amendment, scrappingparliament's authority in impeaching Supreme Court judges.
The dispute grew in the subsequent weeks as severalsenior government leaders virtually attacked Sinha over hiscomments, blasting the government for its reaction and gavePakistan's example where ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifwas stripped of his premiership under an apex court ruling.
Prime Minister Hasina accused him of defaming parliamentand president and "humiliating" Bangladesh by referring toPakistan's instance premier's removal saying "he (chiefjustice) should have quit (and) the most humiliating thing isthe comparison with Pakistan which is intolerable”.
Main Opposition outside parliament Bangladesh NationalistParty of ex-premier Khaleda Zia has supported Sinha, sayingthe government was trying to control the higher judiciary bylaunching a campaign against the apex court judgment.
Hours ahead of his departure, BNP Secretary General MirzaFakhrul Islam Alamgir said that the government forced Sinha togo abroad to "establish its full control over the judiciary".
"It's now clear to the entire nation that the governmenthas taken all the steps to send the chief justice abroad byforce," he said.
Sinha, BangladeshÂ’s first Hindu chief justice whosetenure expires in January 2018, in his written statement saidhe was a "bit worried about the independence of thejudiciary".
He complained that the judge who became the acting chiefjustice to perform the "routine" job in his absence wasencouraged by the government to bring changes to the SupremeCourt administration soon.
"If any interference is made in the chief justice'sadministration, it can be easily assumed that the governmentis interfering in the higher court and this will furtherdeteriorate the relationship between the judiciary and thegovernment. It would not bring any good to the state," heconcluded. PTI AR UZM AKJUZM.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.