The Supreme Court (SC) and lower courts in the capital as well as the district courts wore a deserted look due to the boycott enforced by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).

The agitating lawyers wearing black badges staged demonstration around the courts throughout the country. Black flags were hoisted on the court premises.

However, the pro-government lawyers termed the court boycott politically motivated. They brought out processions and staged rallies against the move.

According to reports from our district correspondents, the SCBA court boycott programme was observed peacefully by the protesting lawyers in the districts. In many districts, the pro-government lawyers held rallies against the boycott.

The lawyers under the banner of SCBA put the collapsible gate of the SC building under lock and key to enforce the boycott that was announced after Monday's killing.

The SCBA leaders later told the press that the lawyers of all the bars of the country spontaneously observed the programme.

The SCBA demands the government give Tk 50 lakh as compensation to the family of each of the assassinated judges -- Sohel Ahmed and Jagannath Pandey.

Most of the SC judges including Chief Justice Syed JR Mudassir Husain left the court after sitting for a while in the benches. Two benches of the High Court, however, carried out functions in presence of a few pro-government lawyers, sources said.

A group of BNP-backed lawyers, led by advocate TH Khan, Additional Attorney General Abdur Razzak Khan and advocate Zainul Abedin, yesterday morning met the chief justice at his office and requested him to continue the court activities.

The SCBA, on the other hand, took out processions on the Supreme Court premises, urging the judges and lawyers to abstain from their judicial work. The SCBA also held a protest meeting at the south hall of the bar.

Presided over by SCBA President advocate Mahbubey Alam, the meeting was addressed, among others, by former SCBA president advocate Ozair Farooq, advocate Rahmat Ali MP, Dr M Zahir, barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, advocates Subrata Chowdhury, Khondker Mahbub Hossain, Nurul Islam Sujan, BA Rashid, Fazle Rabbi, Mahbub Ali, Abu Bakar Siddique, Bashir Ahmed, Mamtajuddin Mehedi, Awasafur Rahman and Rabiul Alam Budu.

The SCBA will form a human chain at the main gate of the Supreme Court from 4:00pm to 5:00pm Saturday and hold a lawyers-people solidarity meeting at the Central Shaheed Minar at 4:00pm on Sunday in protest against the killing of judges.

The two groups of BNP-backed lawyers association, Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, yesterday held separate press conferences at the SCBA building protesting the court boycott.

The faction led by BNP's Law Secretary advocate Zainul Abedin held its press conference at the north hall of the SCBA building. Advocate Abdul Wahab, deputy attorneys general Golam Kibria, Golam Mohammad Chowdhury Alal, Helaluddin Mollah and Badruddoza Badal, assistant attorney general Giasuddin Mithu, advocates Moklesur Rahman Zahid and Manir Hossain, among others, were present there.

Another faction led by advocate TH Khan held the press conference at the hall room of the SCBA annex building. Barrister Ziaur Rahman Khan MP, advocates Shah Khasruzzaman, Saidur Rahman, Sanaullah Miah and Golam Arshed, among others, were present.

The two pro-government lawyers' groups expressed shock at the killing of two judges in Jhalakathi but blamed the SCBA leaders for serving political interests using the killing.

Reacting to the press conferences of the government-backed lawyers, SCBA Secretary advocate Enayetur Rahim said those who have held press conferences against the decision of the SCBA are the patrons of the extremists and bombers.

The lower courts in the capital -- Dhaka Judge Court, Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court, District Magistrate Court and Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court remained almost inactive as the lawyers joined the boycott programme.

Sammilita Ainjibi Samannay Parishad, the forum of pro-opposition lawyers, also staged demonstration and held meetings on the court premises to protest the killing. It asked the lawyers to join the human chain and gathering on Saturday and Sunday.

The judges, meanwhile, gave a seven-day ultimatum to the government to ensure their security, otherwise they would go for a tough movement from November 21.

Senior assistant judges Sohel Ahmed and Jagannath Pandey were killed on November 14, a day after the Saarc Summit, in the bomb attack by a member of JMB suicide squad.

SC Registrar Mohammad Fazlul Karim and Deputy Registrar Mohammad Dalil Uddin yesterday met the families of the slain judges and consoled them. They also visited the spot where the two judges were bombed to death.

The two also visited injured Abdul Mannan, an employee of Jhalakathi District Judge Court, who has been receiving treatment at the Sadar Hospital.