Supreme Court Bar Association President AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon has criticised Attorney General Ruhul Quddus Kazal over his remarks following a courtroom altercation on 8 September with Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, saying the attorney general has no role in communicating issues of Supreme Court lawyers.
Calling Kazal’s statement “irrelevant” and “unbecoming”, Khokon said the Supreme Court Bar Association president was responsible for discussing lawyers’ concerns with the Chief Justice.
“Who is he here?” Khokon told journalists in front of the Supreme Court Annex Building on Thursday, referring to the attorney general.
“He is irrelevant. His statement is irrelevant. He is nobody in our discussion, in our demand,” he said.
Khokon said Supreme Court lawyers had elected him to different positions 11 times, while lawyers across Bangladesh had elected him to the Bar Council three times.
“I have been elected for 20 years. I will speak about lawyers’ issues and discuss the concerns of litigants with the chief justice,” he said.
Referring to Kazal’s previous role as secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Khokon questioned his ‘position against lawyers’.
“How can he take a position against lawyers? I am surprised and shocked,” he said.
Khokon made the remarks two days after his heated exchange with Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury at an Appellate Division courtroom on 8 September in the presence of other judges.
The incident took place after Khokon requested the withdrawal of a Tk5 lakh fine imposed on a lawyer. At one stage, the chief justice and four other judges of the Appellate Division left the courtroom. The Supreme Court administration later said the court did not resume proceedings that day.
Following the incident, both Khokon and Kazal gave separate statements to journalists.
Kazal said Khokon had made an “unexpected” remark during the exchange, saying that lawyers’ income had declined after Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury became chief justice. He said the chief justice took the remark lightly.
Khokon, however, said he had raised broader concerns of Supreme Court lawyers, including allegations of corruption in the judiciary, lobbying in cases, manipulation of case listings and misconduct by some judicial officers.
He said it was his responsibility as association president to inform the chief justice about such issues.
“If litigants have to lobby to file cases in the Supreme Court and have to pay money everywhere, it is a matter of regret,” he said.
Khokon also alleged that some Supreme Court judges had been politically influenced during the previous Awami League government and demanded investigations through the Supreme Judicial Council.
He criticised the condition of residential facilities for court employees inside the Supreme Court premises, describing the area as a “slum”.
He demanded that the slum be removed and proper facilities, including office spaces and a hall room, be built for lawyers within one month.
“If it is not done within one month from today, Supreme Court lawyers will take the next step. The Supreme Court Bar Association will not take responsibility for any such action,” he warned.
Khokon also demanded the formation of at least three Appellate Division benches and the appointment of the required number of judges to reduce delays in hearings.
He said the Tk5 lakh fine imposed over the 8 September incident had not yet been withdrawn and that lawyers would discuss their next course of action.
