The 16th amendment verdict

The 16th amendment of the constitution of Bangladesh was passed by the parliament on 17 September 2014 which would give power to Jatiya Sangsad to remove judges if allegations of incapability or misconduct against them are proved.^[7] On 5 May 2016, a special High Court bench declared the amendment illegal and unconstitutional.^[8][9] On 4 January 2017, the government challenged the verdict by filing an appeal with the appellate division and on 3 July, a seven-member Supreme Court bench headed by Sinha unanimously rejected the appeal upholding the High Court verdict.^[8][10] Following the full verdict release on 1 August, the prime minister and senior ministers publicly criticized Sinha for the decision.^[11] The Jatiya Sangsad on September 13 passed a resolution calling for legal steps to nullify the Supreme Court verdict.^[11]

Fallout

Sinha went on one month's leave since 3 October 2017^[12] and traveled to Australia on 13 October.^[13] Justice Md. Abdul Wahhab Miah was appointed to discharge the duties of the chief justice in the absence of Sinha.^[13] Earlier, law minister Anisul Huq said Sinha went on the leave for treatment as he was suffering from cancer.^[14] Sinha later rejected this claim.^[13] Bangladesh National Party spokesperson alleged Sinha was forced to leave.^[15]

On 14 October, a day after Sinha left the country, the Supreme Court released a statement^[11] citing 11 charges against him including money laundering, financial irregularities, corruption and moral turpitude.^[16] According to the statement, on 30 September, President Abdul Hamid handed over documentary evidence over those allegations to four other appellate division justices.^[16] It added, upon meeting with those justices, Sinha submitted his application to the president on 2 October for one month's leave.^[16] On 10 November, he flew to Canada when his 39-day leave expired. A day later, he sent his resignation letter to President Hamid.^[17] Sinha was scheduled to retire on 31 January 2018.^[18]

On 10 July 2019, the Anti-Corruption Commission sued Sinha and 10 others on the charge of misappropriating and laundering about Tk 4 crore from the Farmers Bank in 2016.^[19][20] A day later, Sinha rejected the allegations against him but said he would not defend himself in court, he had committed no wrong and that Sheikh Hasina’s government had been misusing the law.^[21] According to a Canadian online news portal, The Star, Sinha crossed into Canada through Fort Erie from the United States on 4 July and filed a refugee claim.^[22]

On 6 January 2020, Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of the Senior Special Judge’s Court of Dhaka issued arrest warrants against Sinha and 10 others as they have been shown fugitives in the charge-sheets.^[20]

On 31 March 2022, ACC filed a case against Sinha and his brother, Ananta Kumar Sinha, over allegations of illegal earning and money laundering of $280,000.^[23]