Protesting pro-20-party lawyers boycott courts
Protesting pro-20-party lawyers boycott courts
Pro-BNP and pro-Jamaat-e-Islami lawyers yesterday boycotted the activities at all courts across the country demanding cancellation of the 16th constitutional amendment, through which the parliament has re-empowered itself to impeach Supreme Court judges.
The boycott announced Saturday by the Bangladesh Bar Council coincides with BNP-led 20-party alliance's hartal aimed at pressing the same demand.
During the programme, the agitating lawyers brought out processions and held rallies on different bar association premises.
However, judicial activities went on as usual at the lower courts in Dhaka despite a rally of the lawyers on the district judge's court premises.
Meanwhile, a makeshift court in Dhaka yesterday started recording statements of the prosecution witnesses in the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust corruption cases against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and others in her absence.
At the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, chamber judge Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik dealt with 28 cases yesterday, said SC sources. The SC is on the annual vacation now.
A vacation bench of the High Court also conducted proceedings although most HC judges usually do not attend the court due to security reasons during hartal, according to the sources.
A group of SC lawyers led by Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia, president of Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum (JAF), a platform of pro-BNP lawyers, brought out a procession on the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) premises around 11:00am.
They locked all but two gates of the SCBA building and held a meeting in front of its president's office room on the first floor.
JAF leader and SCBA Secretary AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon told The Daily Star that the lawyers had boycotted the courts across the country and held rallies at all 81 bar associations.
Our correspondents from Chittagong, Barisal and Khulna reported that the court proceedings remained almost suspended due to hartal and the boycott programme but the judges were present. In the districts, the lawyers demonstrated on the court premises.
Our Sylhet correspondent said the proceedings went on as usual since no protest was staged on the court premises.