Pro-BNP, Jamaat lawyers oppose president's move

Pro-opposition lawyers yesterday demanded withdrawal of the president's order for formation of a Supreme Judicial Council to investigate alleged misconduct of High Court judge Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan.
The president's move against Justice Mizanur is not consistent with the constitution, since the judge has not committed any “gross misconduct,” said BNP leader Moudud Ahmed.
He was speaking at a meeting organised by the pro-BNP and Jamaat faction of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) at its south hall.
The president has made the order to serve the government's political purpose, which amounts to interference in the judiciary, complained Moudud.
The order means that the government does not believe in the independence of the Supreme Court and it (government) has been in favour of the bloggers who are making statements against Islam, he added.
Former speaker Jamir Uddin Sircar, BNP leader Rafiqul Islam Mia, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdur Razzaq and SCBA President Zainul Abedin also spoke at the meeting.
President Zillur Rahman issued the order on Monday for formation of the Supreme Judicial Council.
The law ministry on the same day sent the order to the Supreme Court registrar for forwarding it to the chief justice.
Accordingly, Supreme Court Registrar AKM Shamsul Islam yesterday placed the order to Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain.
Allegations of misconduct were raised against Justice Mizanur after he distributed copies of a February 17 newspaper report among the judges of the High Court and the Supreme Court.
The report, published by the daily Inqilab, terms slain Shahbagh activist Ahmed Rajib Haidar a murtad (non-believer), citing alleged blog posts by him.
Rajib was hacked to death near his Palash Nagar residence in the capital's Pallabi on February 15.