CJ, four SC judges leave courtroom

Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury and all four others Appellate Division judges left the courtroom on Tuesday following a heated exchange with Supreme Court Bar Association President Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokan during a hearing.

Mahbub Uddin Khokan, a BNP leader, raised concerns about the growing number of pending cases and the difficulties faced by lawyers in maintaining relations with their clients.

Newsmen were present on the Supreme Court premises but were not allowed to enter the courtroom during proceedings following a restriction imposed since January 7 this year.

The incident took place at the Appellate Division in the afternoon on Tuesday. According to eyewitness lawyers, the exchange began during the hearing of a case in which a lawyer was fined Tk 5 lakh for concealing information. 

Khokan requested the Chief Justice to reduce the amount, triggering a heated exchange between them. He also said lawyers were facing difficulties in maintaining regular contact and professional relationships with their clients because of the situation.

Barrister Khokan told the Chief Justice that lawyers' incomes had decreased since he took office as Chief Justice and the lawyers faced difficulties in maintaining relations with their clients due to the number of pending cases had increased and that many cases were not being heard.

According to lawyers present in the court, the Chief Justice took objection to Barrister Khokan's remarks and left the courtroom along with other Judges of the Appellate Division.

This was a unique and unprecedented incident when the Chief Justice and all judges of the Appellate Division leave the court.

As the situation escalated, Chief Justice Jubayer Rahman Chowdhury and other judges of the Appellate Division left the bench around 12:30pm.

Following the incident, lawyers were seen discussing the matter on the court premises. However, no formal statement was immediately available from either the Chief Justice or the SCBA president.

Later, talking to reporters, Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokan said, “The entire Appellate Division bench, led by Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, left the courtroom during our exchange.”

During the hearing, “I told the chief justice that lawyers' incomes had declined since he took office. This led to an argument, following which the chief justice and other Appellate Division judges left the courtroom in the afternoon," he added.

Referring to the decrease in the income of lawyers, Khokan said, "It is too much to pay a junior lawyer five lakh taka. Forgive him. I wanted to explain that earlier there were 11 judges in the Appellate Division. There were three benches. Now there is one bench.'

Asked what happened in the Appellate Division and why the chief justice left the courtroom, Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal told reporters that Khokan came to the Appellate Division and referred to the court’s decision to fine a lawyer.

The chief justice then said, “Look, we have passed an order after considering everything. We will not change our order.”

Kazal said the lawyer had committed fraud and had also flouted an earlier order of the Appellate Division.