Staff Reporter :The Pro-Awami League lawyers on Thursday broke the collapsible gate of the Supreme Court Bar Association [SCBA] building, which was allegedly locked by the counsels of BNP to foil the farewell for the outgoing Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain. The pro-AL lawyers organised the farewell programme for Justice Md Muzammel Hossain at the courtroom No. 1 of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court at around 10:00am.Earlier on Wednesday, the SCBA, dominated by pro-BNP lawyers, announced that they would not accord any farewell to the outgoing Chief Justice raising various allegations against him, including politicisation of the judiciary, during his tenure. After the farewell programme the pro-Awami League lawyers could not enter their chamber at the SCBA. They at first searched the gatekeeper for the keys. But none responded. Then the lawyers broke into the room. An AL-panel lawyer requesting anonymity said that the gate of the SCBA was broken as the lawyers of BNP had locked it illegally. Refuting the claim, a pro-BNP lawyer said that they did not lock the SCBA gate. Attorney general Mahbubey Alam and some senior AL lawyers, however, accorded the farewell to the out-going Chief Justice around 10:00am.Meanwhile, the SCBA refrained from giving the traditional farewell to outgoing Chief Justice M Muzammel Hossain.The SCBA, however, decided to felicitate new Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha who takes over office on Saturday [Januray 17] after taking oath.The SCBA, dominated by the pro BNP-Jamaat lawyers, came up with the decision at its special general meeting on Wednesday. SCBA President Khandker Mahbub Hossain, also an adviser to the BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, accused the outgoing Chief Justice of ‘turning the judiciary into political premises’. “The chief justice used to constitute High Court benches with comparatively junior judges to deal with writ petitions and bail matters out of his political conviction, and made senior and competent judges dysfunctional by assigning them with benches having less jurisdictions,” Kh. Mahbub said.He also alleged that the outgoing chief justice has failed to free the lower judiciary from the executive in relation to appointments, promotions, and posting of lower court judges. All of these proceedings were being carried out following proposals from the executive, he said.SCBA secretary Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon said, “During the tenure of the outgoing chief justice, the High Court stopped giving pre-arrest interim bail to suspected accused following the Appellate Division decision taken on political consideration.”
