Published : 26 Feb 2026, 10:02 PM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:24 PM
The Barishal Bar Association has launched a total boycott of all local courts to press home three demands, including the release of its arrested president.
The protest, which began on Thursday morning, has brought legal proceedings to a standstill and left litigants in distress.
Nazimuddin Ahmed Panna, convenor of the Nationalist Lawyers’ Forum and public prosecutor at the Metropolitan Sessions Judges’ Court, confirmed that the action follows the arrest of the association’s President Sadiqur Rahman Lincoln on Wednesday.
He alleged that an additional chief metropolitan magistrate used a staff member to file a false case against senior lawyers, sparking the current strike.
“The protest began in two courts [on Wednesday]. [On Thursday] all courts in Barishal are under boycott,” Panna said.
Commenting on the public inconvenience, he said, “For a greater good, minor setbacks have to be accepted.”
Lawyers have outlined three primary conditions for returning to work: the immediate release of the bar president, the withdrawal of cases against lawyers, and a reshuffle in judicial authority to remove those involved in the dispute.
Abul Kalam Azad Emon, the member secretary of the forum, warned that if a resolution is not reached by the end of the day, the protest will be taken to a central level to be implemented across the country.
He added the boycott is ongoing, while dialogue for a settlement continues. “We want the matter to move in a positive direction. The relationship between the bar and bench must remain intact.
“Previously, the High Court doors were vandalised and nothing happened. This situation is due to others’ negligence, not ours.”
The protest has left ordinary court-goers stranded. Saleha Begum, a woman seeking justice, said she travelled from Andharmanik in Mehendiganj and has been waiting for the courts to open.
Md Monir, who came from Dhaka for a hearing, said: “If this issue is not resolved, we will face serious trouble. I hope the president is released so the courts can function.”
The tension originated earlier this week after a court granted bail to a local Awami League leader, leading to a confrontation between pro-BNP lawyers and the judiciary.
A case was subsequently filed following reports of disorder and vandalism in the courtroom, resulting in the arrest of the bar president.
