Different organisations including Bangladesh Judicial Service Association yesterday strongly criticised the move of Bangladesh Administrative Service Association opposing the government step to separate judiciary from the executive.
Terming the move a "contempt of court", some of them even consider that the move initiated by the BCS (Administration) cadres' association is a challenge to the directives of the Supreme Court (SC) on judiciary separation.
Bangladesh Judicial Service Association President and Dhaka District Judge AKM Ishtiaq Husain told The Daily Star the BCS (Admin) cadres' association cannot talk on such an issue by convening a meeting.
The BCS association could raise their problems earlier or move to the SC instead of doing it now on the eve of the separation scheduled for November 1, he observed.
He also blamed a section of bureaucrats for delaying the implementation of the SC's 12-point directives in this regard.
He mentioned that some of the problems the BCS body is raising now are not only objectionable but also baseless.
Referring to the issue of distinction raised by the opposing admin cadres, he said they were earlier given the option to choose between the judiciary and the executive.
But only 20 out of several hundred admin cadres have so far embraced the judiciary option, he pointed out.
The district judge, who is also one of the petitioners of the sensational judiciary separation case popularly known as Mazder Hossain Case, told The Daily Star, "I'll say the statement the admin cadres have made and the way they've made it are not correct.
"As the government has taken initiatives for the separation following directives from the Supreme Court, statements given today [Sunday] by the admin cadres are apparently a challenge to the order of the Supreme Court.
"And some of their statements is also contempt of court," he added.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) Coordination Committee, Bangladesh Law Association, and Peshajibi Shamannay Parishad in separate statements demanded complete separation of the judiciary from the executive at any cost.
It is a precondition for ensuring legal rights of the people and establishing the rule of law, they explained.
They also expressed deep concern over the activities of a group of bureaucrats and government cadres who have been creating obstacles to fair implementation of the separation process.
The Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) Coordination Committee in their statement said the judiciary separation was hindered and could not be implemented earlier due to feudal values and conception of a group of bureaucrats.
They also added that a group of such bureaucrats and a section of civil administration cadres out of 29 sections are spreading propaganda now to ruin the process of separation, thanks to their years-old values and morals.
Condemning the move, they also added that the group is even trying to create disorder in the administration.
The BCS Coordination Committee also expressed its full support to the separation effort and urged the government to implement its decision without any hesitation.
Bangladesh Law Association at a news release demanded legal steps against those who are opposing the separation despite clear directives of the SC in this regard.
Association leaders said separation of the judiciary was demanded from the very beginning of independence of the country.
The nation and lawyers' society would not tolerate any attempt against implementation of the separation. And it should be implemented for the sake of the country and its people, they added.
Peshajibi Shamannay Parishad expressed gratitude to the SC, caretaker government, democratic political parties, lawyers and the media for the implementation process.
Leaders of the Parishad also expressed concern as a group of people in public cadre service are opposing the initiative showing lame excuse that separation of judiciary would create imbalance in field level administration.
Parishad leaders asked all to consider separation of the judiciary from the executive positively in the greater interest even at the cost of temporary loss.