Staff Reporter :
Pro-BNP and Pro-Awami League lawyers on Wednesday locked in a scuffle during a demonstration programme organized on the Supreme Court premises. But no one was hurt during the clash.
As part of their demonstration, the pro-BNP lawyers locked the Supreme Court main gate around 9:30 in the morning. The demonstration ended at 1:00 pm.
The pro-BNP lawyers boycotted the Supreme Court yesterday protesting the enhancement of the jail term of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from five years to ten years in Zia Orphanage Trust case.
Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Advocate Zainul Abedin and Secretary Barrister A M Mahbub Uddin Khokan began the boycott programme around 9:00 am.
However, both the Appellate Division and the High Court Division of the apex court functioned their regular judicial activities as usual.
The pro-BNP lawyers were demonstrating at the Supreme Court Bar Association in front of the SCBA President’s room against the verdict on Khaleda Zia.
The pro-AL lawyers led by Advocate Yousuf Hossain Humayun, Vice-Chairman of Bangladesh Bar Council, also came into the same place protesting the demonstration called by the SCBA. Then the both sides locked in a scuffle.
They (pro-AL lawyers) several times tried to unlock the main gate, but failed.
SCBA President Advocate Zainul Abedin said, “If the intervention of the government on the court continues then the court boycott programme will be declared across the country.”
Advocate Yousuf Hossain Humayun said, “Lawyers cannot boycott the court protesting the verdict of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. This is not a decision of the SCBA, it’s a decision of the pro-BNP lawyers. SCBA leaders cannot hostage the general lawyers throwing any programme for the interest of BNP.”
The Supreme Court Bar Association on Tuesday announced that they would boycott both the High Court and Appellate Divisions for four hours on Wednesday disagreeing with the High Court verdict that enhanced BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s punishment.
On Tuesday, the High Court doubled the five-year jail term for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, handed to her by a lower court in the Zia Orphanage Trust case.
The former Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia, already landed in jail since February 8 after being sentenced by a Special Court that day in this very case.
Also, she stands convicted in another case-Zia Charitable Trust case-where she was awarded seven years’ in jail. The same court handed the sentence on October 29, 2018.
The HC verdict has fueled the ongoing debate about whether Khaleda Zia can contest the upcoming parliamentary election. Article 66(2)(d) of the Constitution says, “A person shall be disqualified for election as, or for being, a member of Parliament who has been, on conviction for a criminal offence involving moral turpitude, sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years, unless a period of five years has elapsed since his release.”
According to Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, the BNP chief cannot join the race unless her convictions are scrapped and she is acquitted. ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam also echoed Alam’s views.
