Judges boycott SC, sedition complaint against top lawyers

countryman · Gold Discusser Joined: 28 Nov 2006 Posts: 27

Dhaka, Dec 5 (bdnews24.com) - The Supreme Court Tuesday ground to a halt, as most judges did not return to work in an unprecedented protest against vandalism at the country's apex court.

A Supreme Court official, Rafiqul Islam, filed a sedition complaint against top lawyers, including Dr Kamal Hossain, Amir-ul Islam and Rokanuddin Mahmud for court vandalism.

On the other hand, Shahbagh police said a general diary was filed and refused to call it a case.

The judges at a meeting Tuesday decided to refrain from judicial work for the next two days.

Lawyers tied with the BNP-Jamaat alliance have welcomed the judges' boycott of court and said it would not be proper for them to return to judicial work before the people involved in court vandalism are tried.

Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum organised rallies and human chains at the apex court for a third day, demanding punishment to the guilty.

But the Supreme Court Bar Association in a press briefing termed the boycott of court by the judges a bad omen.

Only two of the 41 benches worked at the Supreme Court. On workdays, two benches start work at the Appellate Division at 9am and the High Court Division comes on stream with all benches at 10:30am.

SC Registrar Fazlul Karim issued a written copy of the boycott decision to reporters.

JUDGES MEET

Chief Justice Syed JR Mudassir Hosain held meetings with the judges of the Appellate Division and the High Court Division at his Hare Road home on December 3-4.

The judges raised a host of allegations at the meetings: an organised group of lawyers on November 30 dishonoured the flag of Bangladesh and defiled the sacred seat of justice by ransacking the Supreme Court.

They said vandalism breached peace and discipline of the state and dishonoured the order of the chief justice, which was a seditious offence.

A meeting resolution signed by SC deputy registrar Aminul Haque says: "…disobeying and defying order of the chief justice instead of proceeding against it in accordance with law, creating tumults and acts of violence and outrage endangering the public peace in and around the Supreme Court demonstrated clear acts of sedition against the state."

In line with the decision, the judges will not sit in courts until the Supreme Court Bar Association and Bangladesh Bar Council condemn the incident and apologise.

Again, the chief justice held separate meetings with the judges of the Appellate Division and the High Court Division Tuesday.

After the meetings, a judge preferring anonymity told journalists: "We are suffering from physical and mental insecurity. Today's meetings decided that we would refrain from judicial work for next two days."

Lawyers of both sides have taken up different programmes, he said. "We will watch the situation for two days. We are not boycotting court. We are refraining from judicial work."

JATIYATABADI AINJIBI FORUM

Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum formed a midday human chain at the Supreme Court main gate to protest the violence.

Former state minister for law Barrister Shahjahan Omar, Nitai Roy Chowdhury, Joynal Abedin, Shah Khasruzzaman, Taimur Alam Khandker and Barrister Abdur Razzak spoke to the gathering of lawyers.

BAD OMEN

The Supreme Court Bar Association president Barrister Amir-ul Islam told a press conference that the decision of court boycott was taken at a meeting of some judges at the chief justice's home.

He said, "It is very sad and a bad omen for the nation." He asked the chief justice to keep away from party programmes."

Source: bdnew24.com
http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?cid=3&id=51971#tp51979

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