M M Jasim :
Lawyers of the Supreme Court (SC) have been facing constant threat to life as the lift services at both the Bar and Court Buildings have become risky due to poor maintenance.
The conditions of the lifts have reached at such terrible stage that if overhauling would not be done in an emergency basis, fatal accident may occur at any time. At present, the incidents of being stuck inside the lifts have become a regular feature due to mechanical fault. Sometimes, the lifts stop operating even if the power supply is uninterrupted.
It is alleged that the supervisory body Supreme Court Bar Association [SCBA] does not look after the maintenance of the lifts, though it is one of their responsibilities.
Sources said, the lifts of the Supreme Court have been set up exclusively for the lawyers of the court. Visitors and ordinary employees are not supposed to use those, but no one follows the directive. And so, the lifts often remain crowed causing utter disappointment to the lawyers.
Due to absence of proper maintenance, one of the two lifts at Bar Building always remains shut while another one operates partially where people got locked in regular basis.
There are widespread allegations that the liftmen too do not discharge their duties properly as the liftmen are involved inside business instead attending the lifts. Sufferers jokingly call the SC lift service as lip-service.
Like other days, the operating system of the lifts of both Annex part of the Bar Building and Court Building was collapsed on Wednesday. Some senior lawyers were confined inside the lifts for minutes several times. A panic situation was also spread around the court. Some lawyers were seen shouting. They blamed the authorities’ mismanagement. They said that such situation could not be continued.
Visiting the spot this correspondent did not find any liftmen in and outside the lifts. A liftman was found who was doing business inside the SC.
The lawyers use the lift of old part of the Bar Building, a lift of the Annex part of the building and two lifts of the Annex part of the Court Building. All the lifts are highly risky except the lift of the Annex part of the Bar Building. The lifts do not operate properly. The size of the lifts is also small.
The lawyers blamed the mismanagement of the authorities for such untoward situation.
A lawyer wishing anonymity told The New Nation that the lifts of the SC are too old. A lift has the capability to contain maximum five to ten people. As a result, many lawyers have to wait in a long queue. The senior lawyers face embarrassing situation.
The Registrar General of Supreme Court told The New Nation on Wednesday that they were looking into the matter.
Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) General Secretary Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon told this correspondent, “The lifts are too old as well as the building. Now it is hazardous for the lawyers. It may damage any time. But we have nothing to do.
“The Public Works Department (PWD) of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works controls the Bar Building. We have sent many letters to the PWD to reform the building and lifts. But no attempt we have seen. Hundreds of lawyers are in fear,” he said.
Mahbub Uddin Khokon blamed the PWD for mismanagement in the Bar Building what he said that the liftmen and other employees of the building do not work properly. But the PWD is yet to take any action against them.
