HC directs bar assoc to provide legal assistance to litigants if needs
The High Court today directed the presidents and general secretaries of all the bar associations across the country to provide legal assistance to the justice seekers if they have been failed to engage any other lawyer to defend them.
The presidents and general secretaries of all the bar associations are bound to provide legal assistance to the litigants if they approach to the lawyer-leaders (presidents and general secretaries) for legal support after being failed to engage any other lawyer to defend them at the courts, the HC observed.
The court ordered the Bangladesh Bar Council, a statutory body regulating the country’s lawyers, to monitor this issue.
The HC also summoned Kishoreganj’s Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Rafiqul Rabbi to appear before this court on December 3 for dealing with an extortion case although its trial proceedings were stayed by the HC earlier.
The bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice AKM Zahirul Huq came up with the order during hearing a bail petition filed by two accused of the case seeking bail in the case.
Court sources said Advocate Md Sajjad Hossain, a lawyer of Kishoreganj court, filed the extortion case with Kishoreganj Sadar Police Station on June 27 against 13 people.
Kishoreganj Bar Association then took a decision that no member (lawyer) of the bar association defend the accused of the case filed by a member of the bar.
In this situation, two accused of the extortion case Md Atahar Ali and Sirajuddin filed a petition with the HC seeking bail in the case.
Following the bail petition, the HC granted their bail and stayed the trial proceedings of the case for three months.
But, the court of Kishoreganj’s Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Rafiqul Rabbi continued the trial proceedings of the case.
Earlier on October 23, the HC had summoned Kishoreganj Bar Association’s President Miah Mohammad Ferdaus and its General Secretary Shahidul Alam Shahid to appear before it today to explain their conduct over their decision.
The lawyers today appeared before the HC bench as per its October 23 order and explained their roles.
The HC cautioned the lawyers over taking such a decision.
Advocate Atiqur Rahman appeared for the petitioners, while Advocate MK Rahman stood for the lawyers and Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappi represented the state.
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