SC Again Asks Pro-BNP Lawyers Not To Hold Rally In Courts

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, citing a suo moto once again on Thursday (October 19), asked the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party-backed lawyers not to hold rallies in court’s compound.

The apex court also set November 15 for passing it's order on the contempt of the court petition filed by  four Pro-Awami League lawyers in September seeking a rulings against seven pro-BNP lawyers for contempt of the court.

Pro-AL lawyers brought the contempt matter to the court while pro-BNP lawyers had been demonstrating in the Supreme Court Bar Association’s building to press home their demand to remove Appellate Division judges M Enayetur Rahim and Md Abu Zafor Siddique from the court.

They alleged that Enayetur Rahim termed the Supreme Court judges ‘oath-bound politicians’ at the National Mourning Day discussion on August 15 while Md Abu Zafor Siddique at the same discussion says, ‘Elections are held all over the world, and no one even looks at them. Why are all eyes on Bangladesh centering the elections,’ a demonstrator quoted him as saying at the same discussion

Keeping the contempt petition pending for hearing, the Appellate Division on August 30  asked the pro-BNP lawyers to strictly follow a High Court verdict of 2005, that the lawyers leaning to then opposition Awami League not to hold rally, procession and demonstration further on the court premises against the judges and the courts.

The then pro-AL dominated Supreme Court Bar Association, led by its the then president Mahbubey Alam and secretary M Enayetur Rahim, who is now an Appellate Division judge, decided to boycott the courts during the anti-government movement in 2005.  

A three-judge bench, chaired by chief justice Obaidul Hassan , on Thursday morning issued the fresh directive for the lawyers to follow the High Court’s ban on rallies.

The Appellate Division on Thursday also set November 25 for passing order on the contempt of court petition against seven pro-BNP lawyers.