Staff Reporter :
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Tuesday claimed that the Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha was forced to take leave.
“We believe the CJ was put under tremendous pressure. We all know that the government and a political party were pressurising him after a judgement,” Advocate Zainul Abedin, President of the Bar, told a press conference after an emergency meeting of the executive body of the organization.
He said, “We believe that he was sent on leave as part of such pressure.”
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, however, refuted such allegations and said it was an evil ploy of the association to tarnish the reputation of the judiciary.
“We know, he (CJ) is a cancer patient. We also know he went on leave because of physical illness,” the Attorney General said.
Mahbubey Alam also said, “The SCBA, which is controlled by a certain political quarter, is trying to make a gain by bringing such allegations.”
Nationalist Lawyers’ Forum, a group of pro-BNP lawyers, also claimed that the Chief Justice was forced to take leave. They held a meeting in the Supreme Court Bar building at 1.30pm on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, senior lawyers of the Supreme Court Bar on Tuesday evening sat in a meeting to discuss the situation. After the meeting they expressed deep concern as the Supreme Court Bar Association leaders failed to meet with Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha.
Former Law Minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed, former Advisor of the Caretaker Government Barrister Mainul Hosein, Justice Khademul Islam, Justice Abdul Awal, former Attorney General A J Mohammad Ali, former President of the SCBA Khandker Mahbub Hossain, Barrister Jamir Uddin Sircar, Bar Secretary Barrister A M Mahbub Uddin Khokan, Advocate Subrata Chowdhury and Advocate Sanaullah Mia was present in the meeting, among others.
