Gulam Rabbani :
The presiding judge of a High Court division bench on Thursday left the courtroom in a dissention over keeping an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) official present regularly in the court. After that the trial proceedings didn’t take place in the bench.
The judges were Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice SM Mozibur Rahman while hearing a case related to the ACC.
The presiding judge later brought the matter to the attention of Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, said a source, adding that the bench was reconstituted later.
In the reconstituted bench, Justice AK M Zahirul Huq was taken in place of Justice SM Mozibur Rahman, who has been connected with the division bench headed by Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury.
A case, ‘Kaniz Farema vs The State and another’, came into the cause-list of the of the High Court bench on Nov 17 for hearing. But no lawyer of the ACC was found during the hearing of the case.
After being informed by the state counsel, ACC coordinator Abdus Salam joined the virtual hearing of the court. The official informed the court that a new lawyer has been appointed on behalf of the ACC in the court.
During the hearing it came to the front that no lawyer is found in some cases to represent the ACC and the court orders have not been communicated with the anti-graft body properly sometimes. Later, the court verbally asked the ACC to keep an official in the court on a regular basis.
A representative of the ACC was present regularly on the bench before the commencement of the proceedings of the virtual court.
Sources said, during the hearing on Thursday ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said, the ACC has manpower crisis. Some more time will be needed to comply with the order.
Presiding judge of the bench Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder then said that sometimes there was no lawyer from the ACC. Even the court orders have not been communicated with the ACC properly sometimes, added the judge. Khurshid Alam Khan then said he would inform the ACC about the matter.
The other judge of the bench Justice SM Mozibur Rahman said, “Don’t the ACC have any more work. Has the ACC no more work? An officer will come and stay here.”
The presiding judge then said, “It is a problem if the second judge talks so much. There is a decorum in the court.” In one state the presiding judge left the courtroom.
