4 SC judges sworn in

Newly appointed four judges of the Supreme Court (SC) were sworn in yesterday amid a 'protest' of some High Court (HC) judges, who had been dropped during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government.
Five of the protesting judges of HC yesterday went on a few days' leave in protest at the appointment of four judges without meeting their demand of appointing two of them to the apex court, sources in the SC said.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told The Daily Star he will try to solve the problem regarding appointment of judges in the apex court through consultation with the law minister.
“The law minister has to solve the problem of the judges. I will talk to the minister and assist him in solving the problem,” he said.
The attorney general said he will urge the HC judges to withdraw their leave applications so that the court proceedings are not hampered.
Mahbubey Alam said the HC judges were deprived during the BNP-Jamaat led government, but they got their jobs back through a legal battle in the SC after the present government assumed office.
The HC judges desired that their seniority be restored through appointment to the apex court. But, their expectation was not fulfilled, he said.
Mahbubey Alam said he in principle supports the claim of the deprived judges.
He said some the deprived judges did not attend the oath-taking ceremony, which is not unprecedented, as the same thing had happened.
The five judges, who went on leave till February 28, are Justice Md Momtazuddin Ahmed, Justice Md Shamsul Huda, Justice Md Abdul Hye, Justice Faruque Ahmed and Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik.
They, however, mentioned 'personal reasons' in their leave applications placed before the chief justice.
These judges still now stick to their decision to go on leave for an indefinite period or even step down if the two judges--Justice Md Momtazuddin Ahmed and Justice Md Shamsul Huda--are not appointed to the apex court, sources said.
Earlier in the morning, Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque administered oath to four new judges at the Judges' Lounge of the SC.
The judges are Justice MA Wahhab Miah, Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice M Imman Ali.
The judges of the Appellate Division and High Court Division attended the ceremony.
After the oath-taking ceremony, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Supreme Court Bar Association President Khandaker Mahbub Hossain accorded felicitation to the newly appointed judges at the chief justice's courtroom in the SC.
Now the number of the Appellate Division judges stands at eight.