The High Court has ordered the BTRC to remove a video containing the incident of misconduct of some lawyers with judge of Brahmanbaria Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 Mohammad Faruk during the court session.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) was asked to remove the video from all social media platforms as early as possible.
The HC bench of Justice JBM Hasan and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil issued the order on Tuesday (January 17) following a prayer moved by Attorney General AM Amin Uddin seeking necessary directive to this effect.
AM Amin Uddin said, “The court has given instructions to remove the video. The Brahmanbaria incident has spread through social media. The dignity of the court and lawyers is being undermined. For this reason, we seek instructions to remove this video from social media.”
Earlier, president of Brahmanbari District Bar Association Advocate MdTanvir Ahmed Bhuiyan, secretary (administration) of the association Advocate MdAkkas Ali and
Advocate Zubair Islam appeared before the High Court in line with its January 5 summons order.
The HC bench held hearing on a contempt of court rule against three lawyers for their misconduct with the judge at the courtroom on January 2.
The HC bench asked the lawyers to appear before the court on February 14 and place their explanations about their conducts.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin represented the state while a section of Supreme Court lawyers, including president of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) MdMomtaz Uddin Fakir and secretary MdAbdunNurDulal appeared for the three lawyers of Brahmanbaria during the hearing in the higher court.
Expressing concern over the incident of lawyers with the Brahmanbaria judge, the HC bench during the hearing said, “The Brahmanbaria incident has exceeded all the limits of civilization, if this fire is not stopped, the judiciary will burn to ashes.”
At the same time, the High Court asked Attorney General AM Amin Uddin and SCBA president Advocate Momtaz Uddin Fakir to work to work on de-escalation.
On January 2, president of Brahmanbaria Bar Association Advocate MdTanvir Ahmed Bhuiyan, secretary Advocate MdAkkas Ali and around 10-15 lawyers, including Zubair Islam, went to the court of Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 for moving a case.
The lawyers requested the judge to hold hearing of the case, but the judge refused to hear the matter as his court. Protesting the judge’s refusal, the lawyers started shouting in the courtroom and scolded Mohammad Faruk. They rudely asked the judge to leave the courtroom. Advocate Tanvir hurled abusive words at the court, as per the complaint.
One of the policemen present at the courtroom videoed the incident which was attached to the complaint.
On January 4, judge of the Woman and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 Mohammad Faruk sent a written complaint to the High Court to take action against those involved in this incident. Later, on the instructions of the Chief Justice, the Registrar General of the Supreme Court sent the written complaint of the judge to the HC bench.
On January 5, the HC bench summoned the three Brahmanbaria lawyers. The court also issued a rule questioning as to why punitive action will not be taken against them on contempt of court charge.
Meanwhile, the same HC bench on January 10 summoned 21 lawyers of Brahmanbaria, including secretary of Brahmanbaria District Bar Association, to explain the allegation of contempt of court for chanting indecent slogans against the district judge during the court session.
The lawyers were asked to appear before the court on January 23 to explain the matter.
The HC bench had issued the order following a written complaint by Brahmanbaria District and Sessions Judge SharminNigar. The HC bench also issued a rule asking to explain why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against the accused lawyers.
Brahmanbaria District and Sessions Judge SharminNigar sent a letter to the Supreme Court in this regard on January 9.
On January 5, lawyers of Brahmanbaria under Brahmanbaria District Bar Association staged demonstration and announced to boycott court activities demanding removal of two judges- district judge SharminNigar and the tribunal judge Mohammad Faruk for ‘corruption’ and ‘misbehaviour’ with them.
