United News of Bangladesh

A High Court (HC) justice and some lawyers got into an argument on Tuesday when bench officials were accused of preparing daily work log in exchange of money. Chaos ensued in the court, forcing Justice Md Ataur Rahman Khan to leave the bench, consisting of another Justice AKM Hafizul Alam. Twenty-six lawyers submitted a written complaint to Chief Justice (CJ) Syed Refaat Ahmed in this regard while he reconstituted the bench. Barrister Ashraf Rahman, representing his fellows, drew attention of the HC bench about the allegation of setting daily work log in exchange of money. Seeking apology, at first the lawyer said, “Honorable Court, the bench officials of your court didn’t properly provide the daily work log of the submitted all cases taking unfair means, resulting in a deprivation of many lawyers.” Being aggrieved Justice Md Ataur replied, “I was a leader of the bar council, who gave you the courage to dare to speak out against my court? Get out, I will hand you over to police to slap you.” At that moment, lawyers strongly protested while the justices left the bench. Read: 23 new HC additional judges take oath The complaint submitted to the CJ reads that widespread irregularities have been noticed in preparing the daily work log and hearing since the inception of the activities of the bench No-7 upon the four-day holiday. Despite informing the court through representatives of the bar council about the irregularities earlier, no visible action has been noticed, according to it. When asked, lawyer Ashraf Rahman said, "The lawyers submitted the bail application in advance last Monday. Some specific cases submitted earlier have come on the work log, all (case) didn't come, resulting in an anger among lawyers. “ Read more: HC withdraws verdict on Grameen Kalyan’s Tk 666 crore tax dispute There are complaints on the Supreme Court premises, those who have given money, their cases have come to work. When this irregularity is openly brought to the attention of the deprivation officials in the court, the justice openly behaved badly, discourteously and unpleasantly. The justice threatened to hurt him (lawyer) physically, he alleged.

At least 10  journalists and lawyers were injured as police charged batons on them on the Supreme Court premises amid scuffle between pro-Awami League and pro BNP lawyers over the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election on Wednesday. The two-day voting in SCBA election started around 10 am but it was suspended immediately when some pro-BNP lawyers staged demonstrations demanding formation of election conducting committee led by a neutral person. When the situation turned chaotic, police charged batons on the lawyers and journalists, leaving 10 people injured, said Barrister Kaisar Kamal, BNP law affairs secretary. Barrister Kaisar Kamal said, “Police charged baton on some lawyers including Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Ruhul Kuddus Kajal. We have informed it to the Chief Justice.” Jabed Akter, reporter of ATN News, Ibrahim Hossain, cameraperson of Boishakhi TV, Abdullah Al Maruf, multimedia reporters of Manabjamin, Humayun Kabir, cameraperson of  ATN Bangla, Solaiman Swapan, cameraman Somoy TV, Mehedi Hasan, cameraman DBC, Fazlul Haque, reporter of Jago News and SM Nur Mohammad, reporter of Ajker Patrika were among the injured. Of them, Jabed Akter was taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. A seven-member sub-committee led by senior lawyer Mansurul Haque Chowdhury, was formed earlier for conducting the election. But he resigned from the post on personal ground on March 13. Read more: Supreme Court Bar Association election underway Later, pro-Awami League Ainjibi Parishad formed a sub-committee led by freedom fighter Maniruzzaman while the pro-BNP Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikya Panel formed another committee headed by ASM Moktar Kabir. Besides, miscreants tore down 3000 ballot papers sometime on Tuesday night. A tense situation has been prevailing in the Supreme Court area over the issue.  

President Abdul Hamid on Thursday called on lawyers to fulfill their professional duties above politics. The President made this call while exchanging greetings with members of the District Bar Association at Kishoreganj. He said that lawyers should take care of the issues that common people do not suffer from the behaviour of lawyers when they come to seek legal services. The President also said that there may be political differences among themselves, but lawyers must fulfill their professional duties above politics while performing their duties. He hoped that everyone will work together regardless of party affiliation to brighten the image of Kishoreganj District Lawyers Association. Earlier, President Hamid visited the Bangabandhu Corner established at the newly constructed Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Kishoreganj. The President planted a sapling on the court premises. Later, he exchanged views with the judges. Read more: Don’t abuse power while discharging duties, President Hamid asks DCs Senior District and Sessions Judge Saidur Rahman Khan informed the President about the overall activities of the Judiciary Department of Kishoreganj. The President urged the judges to perform their duty more sincerely to ensure that people get speedy justice.

The High Court (HC) on Monday observed that 21 lawyers should be ashamed of chanting indecent slogans against district Woman and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Mohammad Faruq. The HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil made the observation when 21 lawyers of Brahmanbaria Bar Association appeared before it in compliance with its January 10 order. It is a crime worse than contempt of court, said the court and warned that HC could cancel the licenses of these lawyers for life. The court also extended the time till February 19 for the lawyers to explain the contempt of court allegation. Also Read: Misconduct with B'baria Judge: HC orders removing video On January 10, the summoned the 21 lawyers including the Brahmanbaria Bar Association secretary to explain the allegation of contempt of court. The court also issued a rule to explain why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them. Brahmanbaria District and Sessions Judge Sharmin Nigar sent a letter to the Supreme Court in this regard on January 9. Also Read: Misconduct with Judge: HC summons 21 B’baria lawyers Earlier on January 5, the same bench summoned three lawyers including Brahmanbaria Bar Association president on January 17 for misbehaving with the district Woman and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Mohammad Faruq. Those summoned were Bar Association president Advocate Tanvir Ahmed Bhuiyan, Secretary (Administration) Advocate Md Akkas Ali and Advocate Zubair Islam. The court also issued a rule questioning as to why punitive action should not be taken against them on contempt of court charge. Also Read: Misconduct with Judge: HC summons B’baraia Bar Association president, 2 lawyers On January 4, district Woman and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Mohammad Faruq sent a written complaint to the High Court to take action against those involved in this incident. Later, on the instructions of the Chief Justice, the Registrar General of the Supreme Court sent the written complaint of the judge to the HC bench. On January 2, Bar Association president advocate Md Tanvir Bhuiyan, Secretary Advocate Md Akkas Ali and around 10-15 lawyers including Zubair Islam came and rudely asked the judge to leave the courtroom. Advocate Tanvir hurled abusive words at the court, as per the complaint.  

The High Court on Tuesday summoned three lawyers, including the president of the Khulna District Bar Association, to appear before it on November 22 and face charges amounting to contempt of court, in relation to their alleged misconduct with a judge. An HC bench of Justice J. B. M. Hassan and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order, with the contempt attached to a suo moto rule following a hearing in this regard.   The rule questioned why any punitive action taken against the trio, stemming from their own actions, wouldn’t be illegal. Those summoned were the bar’s president for Khulna district Saiful Islam, and KDBA members Sheikh Nazmul Hossain and Sheikh Ashraf Ali Pappu. Attorney AM Amin Uddin and Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy stood for the state in the hearing. The state lawyers said the HC asked the accused lawyers to appear before it in person on November 22 and explain their actions in view of the contempt rule. Read more: High Court asks why DMP authority to ban rallies not illegal According to the file of Registrar General, on September 22 lawyer Pappu, who stood for a plaintiff in a case in Khulna, left the court of Khulna’s former Land Survey Tribunal Judge Nirmalendu Das, who is now an additional district judge of Chapainawabganj district, saying the bar president would interrogate the case after the court fixed a date for delivering the judgment.   Though Pappu orally placed a petition seeking time for hearing the case, the court rejected it.   Later, the three accused lawyers, along with others, entered the court again and created chaos while the judge was hearing another case. Saiful, the senior among them, asked the judge with a rude attitude why he rejected the time petition sought for the hearing of the case and threw him some other questions.    Remarkably, the judge continued to engage with the trio and said: “You (the bar president) applied for time but I rejected it. You see the reason behind the rejection in the order. It is unacceptable that you seek the reason in this manner."  If you're thinking that was the worst of it, think again.  “We don’t want any answers from you, knowing you deliver illegal judgments for money and bribe. We will boycott the court and prove before the media that you are corrupted,” the lawyers shot back. Read more: High court’s directive sought to ban export of Hilsa to India Later, the judge sent a written letter to the chief justice mentioning the issue on the same day. The registrar general of the HC submitted it before the chief judge. The HC bench on Tuesday passed the order on a suo moto rule, after the chief justice formed a bench headed by Justice J. B. M. Hassan to hear the issue on October 25.