HC asks 5 SC lawyers to explain on July 10

The High Court yesterday ordered five Supreme Court lawyers to submit before it on July 10 the statements explaining their roles in connection with the incident of obstructing its proceeding, shouting in the courtroom and assaulting a bench officer on June 19.

The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Ahmed Choudhury passed the order after the five lawyers appeared before it yesterday morning in line with its June 19 summons. The five lawyers are Nur-e-Alam Uzzal, Motilal Bepari, Billah Hosain Lijen Patwari, BM Sultan Mahmud and Mohammad Ali.

On June 19, the HC bench issued a rule on a suomoto (of its own) move asking the lawyers to explain in 10 days why action should not be taken against them for committing contempt of court by obstructing its proceeding and shouting in the courtroom.

During yesterday's proceedings, the HC judges said that the lawyers are officers of the court and, therefore, they cannot take the law in their own hand.

If any bench officer commits any corruption or shows any foul behaviour, allegations can be brought to the chief justice or the High Court judges against the bench officer, Justice Nazrul Islam Talukder said.

The HC, however, exonerated Nur-e-Alam Uzzal and Lijen Patwari from personal appearance, as they submitted two separate applications before it for exempting them from personal appearance before it in connection with the rule.

Three lawyers -- Motilal Bepari, BM Sultan Mahmud and Mohammad Ali -- told the court that they were not present in the courtroom during the incident on June 19.

The lawyers allegedly assaulted bench officer Rafiqul Islam and threw the court documents as their motion petitions were not included in the cause list for hearing on June 19. The incident took place after the judges left the courtroom following court hour on that day.

Meanwhile yesterday, BM Sultan Mahmud told reporters that he has submitted an application to Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha for taking proper steps against bench officers -- Rafiqul Islam and Mamunur Rashid and member of lower subordinate services (MLSS) Sojib allegedly for committing corruption and anomalies in making the cause list of the bench on June 19.

A number of SC lawyers including Mohammad Oji Ullah, SM Rezaul Karim, Bodruddoza Badal and Azhar Ullah Bhuiyan appeared for the five lawyers.