The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to bar 12 judges of the High Court from carrying out the judicial activities as the court reopens on October 20.
Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed took the decision after several hundred students under the banner of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement besieged the HC premises, seeking removal of ‘pro-Awami League fascist judges’ on the day.
“Twelve High Court justices will not be allocated benches for now, meaning that they will not be allowed to take part in judicial activities when the court reopens on October 20,” Supreme Court Registrar General Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan said without mentioning the names of the judges.
He made the announcement in front of the protesting students on the SC premises. The agitating students then postponed the movement till Sunday.
The justices are Ataur Rahman Khan, Naima Haider, Sheikh Hassan Arif, Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar, Ashish Ranjan Das, Khizir Hayat, SM Maniruzzaman, Khandaker Diliruzzaman, Shahed Nuruddin, Md Akhtaruzzaman, Md Aminul Islam and SM Masud Hossain Dolon. The matter gets further complicated over hearing on the 16th amendment to the Constitution on October 20. Advocate M Mahbubur Rahman Khan, member secretary of Bangladesh Law Association, pointed out that there was no current legal framework for removing judges from the High Court.
He explained that since these 12 judges have neither resigned nor can be legally removed at this time, the decision has been made not to assign them to any benches, effectively suspending them from judicial activities until further notice.
Earlier, Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed invited the 12 judges, who faced accusations of corruption and having close ties to the ousted Awami League administration, to tea. The chief justice's daily schedule was adjusted to accommodate the gathering.
Six of these justices -- Maniruzzaman, Dilliruzzaman, Nuruddin, Akhtaruzzaman, Aminul Islam, and Masud Hossain Dolon -- had reportedly met Refaat by 2pm. Later, rumours began circulating that the chief justice had placed these judges on leave.
The Anti-discrimination Student Movement laid siege to the High Court premises demanding immediate removal of the ‘fascist’ judges appointed during Awami League regime.
Besides, the anti-discrimination lawyers’ forum brought out a protest rally demanding immediate resignation or removal of the partisan and corrupt judges from the High Court Division of the Supreme Court.
The legal wing of Jatiya Nagorik Committee also staged a protest rally demanding immediate removal of the judges, terming them the collaborators of the ‘fascist’.
Several hundred lawyers under the banner of anti-discrimination lawyers’ forum gathered in front of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) building in the morning.
Later they shifted their programme in front of Annex Building and claimed that the partisan and corrupt judges are also responsible for the ruining the country.
They said that the judges, loyal to Awami League, made the desire and wishes of the party as the country’s binding law.
Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina could kill a large number of students because of their patronisation, the speakers said, adding that the lawyers are also responsible for such a huge number of enforced disappearance and killing.
The agitation and movement would continue until the partisan and corrupt judges resigned or are removed, the speakers added.
The anti-discrimination student movement leaders also said that the movement would continue to press home their demand for removal of the partisan and corrupt judges.
One of the coordinators of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Hasnat Abdullah demanded removal of the partisan and biased judges, terming them cohorts of the fascist government.
“We have to resist anyone, who will try to rehabilitate the cohorts of the Awami League fascists. None will be allowed to betray the blood of martyrs. All murderers would be tried. The culprits including Sheikh Hasina who are behind those heinous crimes, should be brought back to the country and hand over to the court of justice,” he added.
