Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan decides to resign

Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan has decided to resign from his post as the top judge in the country.

The decision was confirmed by Appellate Division spokesman Md Shafiqul Islam on Saturday afternoon.

The chief justice had called a full court meeting on Saturday morning. It was later suspended amid protests by the Anti-discrimination Student Movement.

After the meeting was announced, Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, another coordinator of the group and the interim government’s advisor to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, wrote on Facebook: “The chief justice of the Supreme Court, who supports fascism and is involved in various misdeeds, has called a full court meeting without any discussion with the government.”

“No conspiracy of a defeated power will be tolerated. Lawyers are already rallying against it.”

“We had previously called for the resignation of the chief justice. Taking a stand against students and the public and provoking them will lead to dire consequences.”

“Immediately and unconditionally resign as chief justice and halt the full court meeting.”

He called for people to gather at the Curzon Hall Gate at Dhaka University, saying:

“The High Court will be surrounded.”

The post was then shared by Sarjis Alam.

Another coordinator named Abdul Hannan Masud then announced the protest at the High Court, calling for people to gather near Curzon Hall at 10am.

Students then gathered at the location and marched to the High Court premises, where they took up positions in front of the Annexe Building at 11am.

Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator who was present at the protest, threatened to surround the residence of the chief justice if the students’ demands were not met.

“This fascist-supporting chief justice and all Appellate Division justices must resign by 1pm,” he said. “If they do not, we will surround the chief justice’s residence.”

The students had gathered at Dhaka University’s Curzon Hall and chanted slogans calling for the resignations and referring to the justices as ‘agents of the Hasina government’.

Sheikh Hasina resigned her premiership in the face of a mass anti-government movement led by the Anti-discrimination Student Movement.

An interim government headed by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus then took power. Two members of the student movement that toppled the Awami League government – Md Nahid Islam and Asif – were appointed as advisors to the interim cabinet.

The judiciary is now facing the same demands for reforms and resignations that have rocked many public and private institutions since Hasina’s resignation.

Protesters have called for the resignations of the chief justice and other justices appointed during Hasina’s tenure.

Attorney General AM Amin Uddin, appointed under the Awami League government, resigned on Wednesday and was replaced by Supreme Court lawyer Md Asaduzzaman, the human rights affairs secretary of the BNP central policymaking committee and advisor to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.