Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday alleged that Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha was forced to step down by sending government agency men abroad.

"You've observed the condition of the judiciary. The Chief Justice was forced to leave the country making him sick falsely. They now forced him to quit creating pressure on him sending their agency people abroad," she said.

The BNP chief made the allegation while delivering her speech at a rally at the Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital marking what it said 'the civil-military uprising on November 7, 1975'.

Khaleda Zia also alleged that Sinha tried to return home, but he was barred. "He was forced to step down mounting pressure on him."

She said the government took such action against Sinha as he as spoke the truth.

"The Chief Justice had spoken the truth that the government had been controlling the lower judiciary and it was trying to control the higher judiciary as well blocking the way for ensuring justice for people. It's now proved that he was forced to quit as he had spoken the truth."

Amid various speculations and row over the Supreme Court's 16th amendment verdict, Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, now abroad, finally stepped down on Saturday.

President Abdul Hamid received his resignation letter, said his press secretary Joynal Abedin.

Sinha went on leave on October 3 and left home for Australia on October 13. Just before his departure, Sinha told reporters that he was not sick, contradicting the government claim that he went on leave on health grounds.

Sinha's leave expired on Friday but there was no update about his return.

On July 3 last, the Appellate Division, led by Sinha, upheld a High Court verdict that declared illegal the 16th amendment to the Constitution scrapping the Jatiya Sangsad's power to remove Supreme Court judges for incapacity or misconduct.

Sinha was widely criticised by ministers and ruling party leaders for his observations made in the verdict. They also demanded his resignation.