Pro-BNP Lawyers Warn Their Rivals
Pro-Awami League lawyers confronted Over 'Joy Bangla' Slogan at Dhaka Lower Court
Collected Photo
Lawyers identified as supporters of the Awami League came under confrontation at the Dhaka lower court premises on Tuesday following a dispute over the "Joy Bangla" slogan after a hearing in a sedition case involving ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 285 others.
According to witnesses, lawyers aligned with the BNP confronted several pro-Awami League lawyers after the court proceedings. They were reportedly escorted to the Dhaka Bar Association, where they were questioned before being released with a warning.
The hearing was held before the third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge of Dhaka, Moin Uddin Chowdhury, in a case filed over allegations that participants in an online meeting of the "Joy Bangla Brigade" were involved in efforts to overthrow the interim government and engage in anti-state activities.
Following the hearing, defence lawyers, including Golam Rabbani and Kamrul Islam, addressed reporters. They argued that the case contained no evidence of attempts to overthrow the government or engage in anti-state activities, describing the charges as baseless and politically motivated. They said the accused were innocent and were being detained solely to harass them.
Witnesses said that before the briefing concluded, several lawyers, including Nihar Hossain Faruk, member secretary of the Dhaka Bar unit of the Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, approached the defence lawyers and questioned them over various issues. The exchange later escalated, and the pro-Awami League lawyers were pushed toward the Dhaka Bar Association premises.
Witnesses also said journalists were prevented from taking photographs of the incident by lawyer Nihar Hossain Faruk.
Dhaka Bar Association Secretary Mohammad Abul Kalam Khan said the pro-Awami League lawyers had been planning to create disorder.
"I warned them several times because if police launched an operation, innocent people could also be detained along with those responsible. That is why they were brought to the bar association. After warning them, they were released," he said.
Nihar Hossain Faruk, member secretary of the convening committee of the Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum, denied that the incident was politically motivated.
"This was not a political matter. It was related to a personal financial dispute. They were taken to the bar association, where the matter was resolved," he said.
Golam Rabbani, one of the pro-Awami League lawyers involved, gave a different account.
"The trouble began over the 'Joy Bangla' slogan. Later, they took us to the bar association and told us they were under pressure and asked us not to chant such slogans or create any disturbance. After that, they released us," he said.
He added that the incident began when some people who had come to see the accused in court attempted to chant "Joy Bangla," triggering the confrontation.
