Law Minister Anisul Huq on Wednesday said the President is the sole authority to appoint the Chief Justice. “In Bangladesh, the President has the authority to appoint the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice without asking anyone else. The President will appoint the Chief Justice whom he will deem fit for it. I think those who’re now in the Appellate Division are all fit for the post.” The law minister came up with the remarks while responding to a question from reporters about the appointment of the Chief Justice at a programme of Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) in the capital. Read: Law minister urges NHRC to stand against violation of human rights Replying to a question about the formation of the Election Commission (EC), the minister said, “The tenure of the EC will expire in February next year. The process for the formation of the EC has started and it’s under the jurisdiction of the President.” Responding to another question about allowing BNP chief  Khaleda Zia to go abroad for treatment, the minister said the  case in which Khaleda Zia got jail term was filed by the caretaker government, not the Awami League government. “Already, Khaleda has been released under section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) on some conditions, now there’s no scope to reconsider her release. She has to go back to jail first and file a plea to the government,” he said. “Khaleda was released under section 401 of the CrPC and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved her plea on humanitarian grounds. The plea was disposed of and there is no scope to reconsider the disposed plea and you (journalists) know the government can’t do anything against the law,” he said.

Moazzem Hossain Nannu, a crime reporter of Daily Jugantor and former secretary of Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh (Crab), who sustained burn injuries in a fire incident at his residence in the city’s Aftabnagar early Friday, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on Saturday morning. 

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Monday said the government has taken adequate security measures to prevent any kind of anarchy centering the celebration of New Year or the 31st night.