A sense of insecurity has been prevailing among the country’s (Bangladesh) judges and lawyers following the Monday’s bomb attacks on the court premises in three districts targeting the judges, lawyers, litigants and legal staffs.
The August 17 attack was also targeted to many courts, including the Supreme Court.
Senior lawyers of the country Tuesday held a closed door meeting at the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) building to review the latest bomb attacks and security situation of the lawyers, judges and litigants, sources said.
According to the sources, the lawyers at the meeting expressed deep concern over the repeated bomb attacks at the court premises.
Judges of different districts’ courts have already asked the government to provide adequate security for them, and the SCBA has closed three of the four entrance gates of its building in fear of bomb attacks by fundamentalist terrorists, the sources said.
SCBA secretary advocate M Enayetur Rahim, who was present at the meeting, told news man that the lawyers and judges of the country are very concerned with the bomb attacks at the premises of the courts and bars.
“The militant terrorists at the shelter and instigation of some ministers, lawmakers and ruling party leaders are carrying out the attacks. Unfortunately, the government is not taking any proper action against the criminals,” he alleged.
Advocate Enayet said both the government and the militants have targeted the judiciary.
“The government is attacking the judiciary by politically appointing judges in the higher courts and on the other hand, the militant terrorists are launching bomb attacks on the judges, lawyers, litigants and court premises across the country. The security, independence and sovereignty of the country are now at stake,” he commented.
The lawyers’ bodies, including the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), will soon seek adequate security measures at the courts’ compounds across the country to the Chief Justice and the Inspector General of the Police (IGP), the sources added.
Bangladesh Bar Council vice chairman Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud, Sammilita Ainjibi Samannay Parishad (SASP) convener Barrister M Amir-ul Islam, its member secretary advocate Subrata Chowdhury, former SCBA president advocate Abdul Baset Majumder, advocate Yusuf Hossain Humayun and advocate Layekuzzaman Mollah, among others, were present at the meeting.
Sources said judges at a meeting of Bangladesh Judicial Service Association (BJSA) in Dhaka Tuesday demanded adequate security, and fair investigation and punishment of the bomb attackers and their masterminds.
Judges of Chittagong district courts demanded to the government to provide bullet-proof jackets for them.
Judges of Rangpur region Tuesday sent letters seeking security for them and the court premises during court hours to the concerned police supers.
Besides, judges of Cox’s Bazar district courts Tuesday held trials of the cases behind closed doors fearing fresh attacks by militants.
The SCBA Wednesday sent to the Chief Justice a copy of the resolution of its Tuesday’s meeting that urged him to take necessary steps to ensure the security of the judges, lawyers, legal staffs and litigants at the courts’ premises with deployment of various law enforcing agencies.
