Pro-BNP lawyers protest 16th amendment

Pro-BNP lawyers have boycotted the Supreme Court in protest against the 16th amendment of the Constitution, which re-empowers Parliament to remove Supreme Court Judges.

The lawyers gathered around the Supreme Court Bar Association president's office around 11 am, locking the three gates of Attorney General’s Building and the Court building.

They marched through the court, gathering finally at its ground-floor gate.

They also held a meeting, demanding the revocation of the 16th amendment, alleging that the new law allowed the government full control over the judiciary.

The Bangladesh Bar Council had announced the protest programme on Saturday.

The Attorney General is the council chairman as required by the council rules, but most members are BNP lawyers.

Council member Mahbub Uddin Khokon, a former MP and a joint secretary of the BNP, is also the secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

The BNP and the Awami League (AL) brought out separate processions in the lower court in support of and against the strike.

Work at the Dhaka lower court came to a standstill due to the strike called by the BNP-led alliance and pro-BNP lawyers.

Court correspondent of bdnews24.com Prakash Biswas said, "Though judges of Dhaka Metropolitan court, district court, chief metropolitan magistrate court and the chief judicial court came to the court, number of layers and litigants was negligible."

Most of pleas seeking hearing postponement were approved.

OC of court jail Murad Hossain said, "Only two prison vans arrived at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court till 12 pm. I cannot say whether prison vans from 49 police stations will make it to the court."

At 12 pm, pro-AL lawyers brought out a procession in the court complex in protest against the strike called by the BNP and its supporting lawyers.