Judge who compares the country with hell skips farewell

Justice Md Emdadul Haque Azad, a High Court judge who recently compared the country's situation with the hell, might have refused to attend a farewell reception on his last working day on Sunday.

He communicated with the Supreme Court administration that he would not take part in the customary farewell reception, sources said.

However, Md Golam Rabbani, Registrar General of the SC, said that Justice Emdadul was sick and, therefore, he didn't attend the court on the last working day.

As per the custom of the SC, the Attorney General's office and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) accord a farewell reception to the outgoing judge on the last working day.

On October 10, while holding a hearing on the admissibility of the appeal petition filed by rights body 'Odhikar's Secretary Adilur Rahman Khan and its Director ASM Nasiruddin Elan in a case, the HC judge addressing a state lawyer commented that they had made the country a hell.

When the matter came for hearing, AJ Mohammad Ali, lawyer of Adilur and Nasiruddin, stood in front of the dais of the court. Deputy Attorney General Rezaul Karim then vehemently opposed the issue and said, "We also have a speech."

Addressing the Deputy Attorney General, the HC bench then said, "Let their (appellants) lawyers speak first. Why are you jumping up already?...(You) have made the country a hell."

Deputy Attorney General told the court that there are allegations of circulating false info and rumours against them (Adilur and Nasiruddin). Then the court told the Deputy Attorney General, "Then why did you give them (Adilur and Nasiruddin) a lesser sentence? Life sentence should have been given, then. Why did you give two years' sentences?"

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