The Supreme Court Bar Association, dominated by pro-BNP lawyers, yesterday demanded that the government amend the disciplinary rules for lower court judges for incorporating a provision for setting up an independent secretariat for the judiciary.

It also urged the government to issue a gazette notification following the necessary amendments and then submit it to the Supreme Court.

SCBA President Zainul Abedin, also a vice chairman of the BNP, made the demand at a press conference at the SCBA auditorium in the capital.

“The disciplinary rules have to be amended in line with the Supreme Court directives in the Masder Hossain case,” he added. SCBA Secretary and BNP Joint Secretary General AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, among others, spoke there.

Meanwhile, pro-Awami League faction of the association protested the demand from the SCBA president.

Md Oziullah, SCBA senior vice president and a leader of its pro-AL faction, said the SCBA president's demand is tantamount to contempt of court as the SC has already accepted the gazette notification issued by the government on the disciplinary rules.

He further said there is no scope for establishing an independent secretariat for the judiciary until the rules regarding the SC are amended.

Oziullah was speaking at a press conference at the SCBA media centre.

Earlier on Wednesday, the SC accepted the disciplinary rules formulated by the government for the lower court judges.