SCBA announces 5-day demo protesting police restriction on meeting CJ

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) announced a 5-day nationwide demonstration, as police barred the association’s lawyers from meeting Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha on Friday. SCBA president Zainul Abedin made the announcement at a press briefing at the association's auditorium on Saturday morning. "Lawyers of all district bar associations will form human chains and hold protest rallies from Sunday to Thursday protesting the obstruction," said advocate Zainul Abedin, also a BNP leader. On Friday, members of the SCBA executive committee had to return from in front of the Bar Council building due to the police obstruction on their way to the house of Chief Justice SK Sinha to meet him, he alleged. "This proves that the CJ didn't go on leave willingly rather he was forced to take the leave," he added. "Article 94 of the Constitution states about the independence of the judiciary but now the head of the judiciary, the Chief Justice, himself doesn't have any freedom, which we consider as deception of the government with the judiciary," he said. SCBA general secretary Mahbub Uddin Khokon said those who have taken a stance against the chief justice do not want independence of the judiciary.