Lawyers supporting the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) staged a protest rally over the recent attacks on them during the testimony against the acting chairman of BNP Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman in the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) case on the charge of acquiring wealth beyond known income.
They staged the protest rally on the premises of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court on Wednesday afternoon.
At that time, they stood outside the court session carrying out the protest, chanting various slogans.
At the end of the protest rally, the pro-BNP lawyers said that justice could not be served under the Awami League government.
They claimed that by providing a hasty verdict before the election, the Awami League is trying to defame Tarique Rahman and Zubaida Rahman to the people of the country and the world.
They demanded an end to this farcical trial against Tarique Rahman and Zubaida Rahman.
Bangla TribuneRegarding the General Diary (GD) at the police station, the pro-BNP lawyers said that filing a GD does not constitute a case.
They further criticized the government, alleging it maintains power by fabricating false cases and initiating attacks.
After the protest rally, the pro-BNP lawyers stationed in front of the courtroom chanted various slogans like, "Why are police in court? We demand an answer” and “Judicial work by police will not be tolerated”.
On the other hand, pro-Awami lawyers also took positions at the same place, changing slogans like “Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu”.
Prior to the pro-BNP's protest at the court premises, a General Diary (GD) was filed on Wednesday regarding the scuffle between the pro-BNP and pro-Awami lawyers in the courtroom on Tuesday.
The GD was filed by Nazir Shah Md Mamun of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court in relation to the disturbance that occurred in the court on Tuesday night.
The GD includes the names of 28 lawyers, including BNP International Affairs Secretary Advocate Masood Ahmed Talukder, and around 100 to 150 unidentified pro-BNP lawyers.
Bangla TribuneInspector (Investigation) Mahbubur Rahman of Kotwali police station stated that necessary measures will be taken after conducting a thorough investigation.
According to the GD, Tuesday was fixed as the day for testimonies against Tarique Rahman and Zubaida Rahman in the Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court and Special Tribunal No 1. The court session resumed at 3pm after the midday break.
However, moments later, pro-BNP lawyers attempted to intimidate the witnesses and disrupt the judicial proceedings by shouting and abusing them inside the court.
Despite efforts by Additional Public Prosecutor Advocate Tapas Pal and ACC Public Prosecutor Advocate Jahangir Hossain to restore order, the pro-BNP lawyers continued to disrupt the proceedings and the testimony of witnesses by chanting slogans. The situation escalated, leading the metropolitan sessions judge to grant temporary relief and summon the police to the scene, said the GD.
Eventually, when pro-Awami lawyers entered the courtroom, the pro-BNP lawyers left amidst chaos. Subsequently, the court concluded the day's transitional judicial proceedings after re-taking the evidence in the case.
