Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 894 Sat. December 02, 2006  
   
Front Page


Bar to boycott CJ's court unto his resignation


Functioning of the country's highest court faces a virtual halt as the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) starts boycotting the court of the chief justice (CJ) from tomorrow demanding his resignation.

The aggrieved lawyers announced the programme protesting the CJ's unprecedented move on Thursday that stayed the proceedings of writ petitions filed against the president's holding the post of chief adviser of the caretaker government.

While the SCBA vows to continue the boycott until Chief Justice Syed JR Mudassir Husain resigns, pro-BNP lawyers have announced a rally on the Supreme Court (SC) premises tomorrow to protest Thursday's vandalism sparked off by the CJ's stay order.

Different quarters continued voicing protest against the CJ's move yesterday too.

The president killed the highest constitutional organisation to retain his post by using the chief justice, said Abdul Jalil, Awami League general secretary and coordinator of the 14-party combine.

On the other hand, BNP steering committee member advocate Khandakar Mahabubuddin Ahmed at a rally yesterday demanded punishment to the people involved in Thursday's vandalism at the Supreme Court.

Two cases were filed with Shahbagh Police Station on Thursday afternoon for vandalising the offices of attorney general and chief justice, and creating disturbance in court proceedings.

Abdul Quddus, administrative officer of Attorney General (AG) AJ Mohammad Ali, and Mohammad Nurul Islam, court officer of the Supreme Court, filed the cases.

In the first information report (FIR), Quddus said a group of 'unruly' lawyers and some outsiders attacked the new office building of the AG and Solicitor at about 2:45pm, vandalised its furniture and took important documents from there.

They also burnt a vehicle parked in front of the building.

Nurul Islam in his FIR said the lawyers made 'indecent' and 'abusive' remarks about the chief justice and other judges, vandalised his office and furniture, tore the flag in front of the SC, and created disturbance during the hearing at court No 14.

The SCBA has also called a general meeting at its office at 11:00am today to discuss Thursday's unprecedented incident at the court, said its General Secretary Amin Uddin.

"We will go to the court on Sunday morning and do our regular work, but won't appear before the court of chief justice until he resigns," he told The Daily Star last evening.

On the other hand, Joynul Abedin, a leader of Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum and law secretary of BNP, said they would hold a protest rally at 1:15pm tomorrow on the Supreme Court premises.

At a BNP rally held yesterday in front of the party office at Naya Paltan, Abedin asked the chief adviser to issue contempt rule against the unruly lawyers.