23 AAGs lose job for 'poor performance'

The government has exempted 23 assistant attorneys general (AAG) from their offices due to different reasons including that of poor performance in dealing with cases on behalf of the state before the Supreme Court. 

Meanwhile 27 new AAGs have been appointed in their place.

Process for exemption of some deputy attorneys general (DAG) is also underway, sources add.

According to these sources, the 23 AAGs now exempted were appointed on political consideration during the regime of last Awami League government. They were removed from office on Sunday but no reason was mentioned for this move except that their performance was not satisfactory.

The move came on recommendation from Attorney General Mahbubey Alam following a government decision.

Two lawyers removed from the office of AAG, requesting anonymity, told The Daily Star they don't know why they have been exempted from their duties although they believe they have performed their duties well.

They said they were not given any prior notice before exemption.

One of the exempted AAGs said Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told them few months ago that they might be exempted from their services as there was a pressure on him to this effect.    

Law Minister Anisul Huq and Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, both abroad at present, could not be reached for comments.  

 Some of the removed AAGs have been in office for seven to nine years. An AAG office source said a group of pro-AL SC lawyers have been claiming long that they could not win in the Supreme Court Bar Association elections for years as there are not enough dedicated pro-AL lawyers in DAG and AAG posts.

The removal of lawyers was a move to appoint others more dedicated to Awami League.

Acting Attorney General Murad Reza told this newspaper that he did not know why the 23 AAGs were exempted from their offices.

The lawyers exempted from the office of AAG are - Shadhan Kumar Banik, Delwara Begum Bela, Yadia Zaman, Anwara Khanam, Bilkis Fatema, Motiur Rahman Hawlader, Abdul Bari, Nurul Haque, Manowar Hossain, Abdur Rahman Hawlader, Bahauddin Ahmed, Touhida Khatun Rina, Abu Saleh Mohammad Fazle Rabbi Khan, Md Zaber, Mozammel Haque Rana, Khandker Modares Elahi Tiru, Mia Sirajul Islam, SM Asadullah Tarek, Shahidul Islam Khan, ABM Mahbub, Mamunur Rashid, Soeb Khan and Nowajish Ara Begum.

The lawyers newly appointed as AAG are Syeda Sabina Ahmed (Moli), Afifa Begum, Anich Ul Maowa (Arju), Saiba Fairoz, Helena Begum (Chaina), Md Asaduzzaman, Lucky Begum, Md Shafiquzzaman, Mizanur Rahman Khan, Mohammad Akhtar Hossain, Syed Bashir Hossain Chowdhury, Nusrat Jahan, Abul Kalam Khan (Daud), Sandhya Ghosh, Md Nasim Islam, Mohammad Mojibur Rahman, Ashraf Uddin Khan, Mehedi Hasan, Nirmal Kumar Das, Zahir Ahmed, Sathi Shahajahan, Zakir Hossain, Airin Jahan, Prohlad Debnath, Abul Hossain Md Ziauddin, Ashik Rubaiyat and Najimul Islam Raju.

Following the changes, there are now - other than Attorney General Mahbubey Alam - two additional attorneys general, 44 DAGs and 100 AAGs.