Barely two cases were heard during the first session when about a score of cases scheduled for hearing could not be taken up as the lawyers for the petitioners or respondents did not appear.

About the appearance in the chief justice's court by the attorney general violating the SCBA decision, its president Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud said: "We will see whether the attorney general appeared in court under compulsion… We will not take action against him hastily."

The boycott decision was taken at the SCBA meeting on August 29, as the chief justice ignored the lawyers' demand for cancellation of the swearing-in of 19 additional judges appointed on what they said were political grounds.

The meeting decided that any member, including the attorney general, would be expelled from the Bar in failure to comply with the boycott decision.

Rokan claimed the boycott for an indefinite period was successful on the first day yesterday as most members qualified to appear in the chief justice's court had abide by the decision.

About the criticism against him, the SCBA president said the boycott decision had been taken at the general meeting. "It was not intended to divide the organisation. We will take utmost care to maintain our unity".

Meanwhile, Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikya Parishad yesterday strongly protested the boycott decision, terming the action an infringement on functioning of the judges and violation of fundamental rights of justice seekers.

The parishad, known as platform of lawyers of the ruling alliance, at a meeting viewed that the SCBA was being used as a political platform.

The speakers, also members of the SCBA, asked its leadership not to abuse the association as an instrument of a particular political quarter to implement the narrow political objective. Keep the Bar above party politics, they said.

The meeting in a resolution condemned the boycott decision and termed it unwarranted.

Rejecting the boycott decision, the meeting decided to attend the court of the chief justice. It further decided to resist those trying to obstruct functioning of the court of the chief justice.

The meeting condemned the August 21 grenade attack on Awami League rally that left 19 people dead and more than 200 injured. It hailed the government measures to find out the culprits involved in the heinous act.

Referring to the lawyers' inquiry committee on the grenade incident, the meeting termed it an attempt to confuse the people in the name of investigation.

Presided over by Barrister Ziaur Rahman Khan MP, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Khandker Mahbubuddin Ahmed MP, Barrister Abdur Razzak, Mahbubur Rahman MP and Joynal Abedin.

Ziaur Rahman said actions that impeded smooth functioning of the judiciary would be resisted at any cost.

Khandker Mahbub said, "We will not allow anyone to use the SCBA as a platform of a particular political party. We will resist them."

Barristter Razzak said the SCBA constitution does not provide rule for taking such action that deprived litigants of justice and impede functioning of the court.