Pro-Awami League lawyers announce protest over constitutional amendment verdict

The forum of pro-Awami League lawyers, who regularly criticise the BNP for demonstrations against court verdicts, has now announced its own protests against a Supreme Court decision.

The 'Bangabandhu Awami Ainjibi Parishad' said on Saturday that its units across the country will demonstrate on Aug 13, 16 and 17 to protest the verdict which declared the 16th amendment illegal.

The amendment, passed in 2014, allowed lawmakers to impeach top court judges on the grounds of misconduct and incompetence.

In July, the Appellate Division declared the amendment illegal and the full verdict was published earlier this month.

At a media briefing on Saturday, pro-AL lawyers said the verdict has left 'lawyers across the country aggrieved.'

"A certain quarter is trying to create controversy over the judiciary after the verdict," the forum's Member Secretary Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said while reading out a statement.

It also called the court to expunge part of its observations in the verdict, which they find 'offensive, unconstitutional, undemocratic and irrelevant.'

The briefing was attended by Bar Council Vice Chairman Abdul Baset Mazumder, the forum's Convener Yousuf Hossain Humayun, Food Minister Advocate Qamrul Islam and Awami League's Legal Affairs Secretary SM Rezaul Karim.

The 16th Amendment to the Constitution had restored parliament’s powers to impeach higher court justices. Last year, the High Court declared the amendment ‘illegal’ and the decision was upheld on Jul 3 by the Appellate Division.

The full verdict was finally released by the Supreme Court on Aug 1.

The ruling party has criticised the verdict, but the BNP describes it as historic.