October 31, 2003	Friday	Ramazan 4, 1424

DHAKA, Oct 30: Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed has ordered a Supreme Judicial Council inquiry into alleged misconduct of an additional judge of the High Court.

The ministry of law, justice and parliamentary affairs relayed the order to Chief Justice K.M. Hasan on Thursday. Earlier, the ministry received the presidential order, along with the chief justice’s reference file.

Earlier, on Monday, Prime Minister Begum Khlaeda Zia ‘advised’ the President to approve the Chief Justice’s file seeking presidential nod to conduct the inquiry into the alleged misconduct of the HC judge in question.

The chief justice, on Oct 20, sent the reference file to the president for his approval after the Supreme Judicial Council, comprising the chief justice and two other senior judges of the Appellate Division, had found a prima facie case in the allegations that Justice Rahman had taken money from an accused in a woman’s repression case to help him get bail. The president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, advocate Rokonuddin Mahmmod raised the allegation.

However, the Supreme Judicial Council will now probe the allegation and submit its findings to the president. The Constitution of the state, however, does not set any time limit for such an inquiry. Also, the council does not have any set rules for such an inquiry.