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Supreme Court Bar Association President Advocate Zainul Abedin says Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha has been forced to take leave from the court.
The pro-BNP advocate made the comments during a press briefing following an emergency meeting of the Supreme Court Bar Association’s executive committee.
“Our Bar Association believes that tremendous pressure was put on [Chief Justice Sinha] to make him take a month’s leave,” he alleged.
“You know, our people know, the whole world knows that the government has put pressure on him since a particular verdict was issued. We believe he was sent on leave as part of that pressure.”
“He did not take a break. He was forced to do it.”
Abedin said he would meet with former Bar Association presidents, members and other senior lawyers to discuss what steps could be taken to ‘uncover the true reason’ behind the chief justice’s leave.
Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha has faced harsh criticism from the ruling Awami League following the release of the verdict dismissing the 16th amendment to the constitution in August.
Pro-Awami League lawyers had threatened to launch protests for Sinha’s resignation following the court’s return to session on Tuesday.
A notice from the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs on Monday stated that the chief justice had requested and been granted 30-day leave from the president, citing ‘health reasons’. Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah was appointed to head the Appellate Division in his absence, it said.
“The Bar Association has the right to know why the chief justice is on leave,” said the organisation’s president Zainul Abedin.
“We must have an emergency meeting on the matter with the chief justice. The people want to hear the truth behind this disarray. If we do not get the truth, no judge or chief justice will be able to fulfil their duties properly ever again.”
The Supreme Court is the people’s last bastion of hope and faith, BNP Vice Chairman Abedin said. It would be said if the court was prevented from fulfilling its duties due to ‘the government’s interference’, he said.
“No state can function like this. A democracy cannot function like this. That’s why we will continue our efforts and meet with senior lawyers to discuss our next steps.”
Abedin said the chief justice had called the court’s lawyers for a ‘get-together’, according to the rules, prior to the start of the Supreme Court’s session, but that now he was suddenly going on leave.
“No chief justice in the history of the court has done this. We need to know why.”
He cited the example of a former justice who had attended the event despite being sick and unable to walk.
Thirteen of the 14 members of the Bar Association’s executive council had been present at Tuesday’s meeting and had taken the decisions unanimously.
Pro-BNP lawyers led a protest march and declared that the chief justice had been forced to take leave prior to the briefing.