Pro-BNP and Jamaat lawyers on Tursday agitated in front of a courtroom of the High Court, protesting judicial sessions during the 48-hour blockade programme called by the BNP-led 18-party alliance.
They thumped on the windows of the courtroom of Justice M Enayetur Rahim, one of the judges who cancelled the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami with the Election Commission, and Justice Mohammad Ullah in a bid to interrupt their sessions, alleged Assistant Attorney General Gazi Mamunur Rashid.
“Although around 100-150 lawyers started chanting slogans from 12pm to compel the judges to withdraw from sessions at the annex building of the High Court, Justice Enayetur Rahim-led bench did not pay any heed to their demands. This prompted us to agitate in front of the bench at 12.30pm,” Mirza Al Mahmud, one of the agitating lawyers, told the Dhaka Tribune.
He said as a political crisis had grown centring the upcoming parliamentary elections, running the judicial sessions during the blockade programme was not right.
No other bench of the High Court sat during the observation of the blockade, he added.
During their agitation, the police on-duty locked the courtroom’s door, and later, the bench left the courtroom around 12.40pm, he said.
However, Mirza denied the allegation of thumping on windows saying that they had respect towards the court.
Saifur Rahman, Gazi Kamrul Islam Sajal, and Ayub Ali Ashrafi were among the agitating lawyers.
Later they joined at a press briefing arranged by Jatiotabadi Ainjibi Oikkya Parishad held for annulment of the polls schedule declared by the Election Commission.
However, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court ran their session.
Appeal hearing in the cases of Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee could not take place as the defence remained absent because of the blockade.
Mirza Al Mahmud said: “As the Appellate Division was the apex court of the country, the Supreme Court Bar Association leaders directed us not to agitate in front of it.”