The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon today called on India to arrest former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana, and send them back to Bangladesh.

"We want to maintain a good relationship with the people of India. Please, arrest Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, who fled the country, and send them back to Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina has killed many people in Bangladesh," he said.

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Hasina falls, flees

Barrister Khokon, who is also a joint secretary general of the BNP, urged the authorities not to declare a state of emergency.

"There is talk of issuing a state of emergency. We don't want a government like that of Moeen U Ahmed and Fakhruddin Ahmed. No one, including the students, wants the state of emergency. They will not accept it and will protest if any initiative is taken to issue it," he said during a press conference at the SCBA auditorium, where several pro-BNP lawyers were present.

The SCBA president demanded that Supreme Court judges who have engaged in politics and corruption resign within one week.

"Many judges have ordered the remand of BNP men and sentenced them in false cases, breaking their oaths and being overly enthusiastic. HC judges have acquitted Awami League leader Mofazzal Hossain in a case filed for amassing illegal wealth, while BNP leaders Iqbal Hassan Mahmud Tuku and Aman Ullah Aman were imprisoned in similar cases. Judges who have judged politically, breaking their oaths, are unfit to remain as judges. They have no right to stay in their positions. I request them to resign within a week. We will disclose their names if they don't step down," he said.

He also demanded resignations of the state law officers including Attorney General AM Amin Uddin, and the chiefs and officials of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) within a week as they were appointed by the Sheikh Hasina-led government.

Khokon said many political prisoners, who have been suffering in jails, must be released immediately.

"The president has said that they will be released on bail. They must not only be granted bail, but the cases filed against them should also be withdrawn by executive order of the government under Section 494 of the Criminal Procedure Code," he said.

Additionally, the Jatiotabadi Ainjibi Forum, a body of pro-BNP lawyers, led by its President Zainul Abedin and Secretary General Kayser Kamal, organized a meeting and held a procession at the SCBA premises to celebrate the success of the movement against the Sheikh Hasina-led government.