Trial proceedings in the courts in Chittagong have come to a near halt as lawyers are skipping hearing during shutdowns as per a decision of their association taken during military dictator HM Ershad’s rule.
Published : 28 Feb 2015, 12:01 AM
Jail officials said the deadlock also halted for the last one month disposal of bail petitions of the those detained in prison.
It has forced Chittagong Central Jail to accommodate inmates six months times the capacity.
Chittagong District Bar Association had decided in 1989 not to join trial proceedings during general strikes enforced to unseat Ershad.
Lawyers still follow the decision.
No court in Chittagong could hold hearing on any case since the beginning of this month due to lawyers’ abstention.
The judges are delivering verdict on those arrested over subversive acts from their chambers.
Prison officials said though 40-50 inmates would be released from the jail every day when things were normal, only one or two were getting out now.
Forty-seven bail seekers have written to the district’s deputy commissioner for an end to the impasse.
Chittagong Central Jail Senior Superintendent Sogir Mia told bdnews24.com: “Only those securing bails from the High Court or courts in other district are being released from the jail. However, that number is very small.”
Prison officials said the central jail was accommodating 5,858 inmates on Jan 6 against its capacity of 1,853.
The number of inmates increased to 6,229 on Feb 6 and to 6,756 on Wednesday.
Mia said number of inmates beyond capacity was creating problems.
Chittagong Deputy Commissioner Mezbah Uddin told bdnews24.com: “I’ve talked to the district bar association, secretary to the law ministry and judges to end the crisis.”
He said: “Trial proceedings are going on in many districts. We hope the problem will be solved soon.”
Chittagong District Bar Association General Secretary Enamul Haq, however, said they were not preventing anyone from taking part in the hearing on bail petitions.
The BNP-led 20-Party alliance enforced shutdowns on all working days in the last three weeks in addition to its transport blockade since Jan 6.
It has announced another spell of 72-hour general strike from Sunday morning.