Writ filed challenging legality of appointments of 70 DAGs

A Supreme Court lawyer today filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging legality of appointments of 70 deputy attorney generals (DAGs) and 105 assistant attorney generals (AAGs).

The government appointed 70 SC lawyers as new DAGs and appointed 105 SC lawyers as new AAGs on July 7 and 21 respectively this year for representing the state in cases before the Appellate and HC Divisions of the SC.

Today, advocate Farhad Uddin Ahmed Bhuiyan submitted the petition to the HC, saying that few of the 70 DAGs have no experience of practicing law for at least 10 years and some of the 15 AAGs also have no experience of practicing law for at least five years before the Appellate and HC of the SC.

According to Bangladesh Law Officers Act, 2001, a lawyer has to have experience of practicing law for at least 10 years before the HC in order to be appointed as a DAG and a lawyer has to have an experience of practicing law for at least five years before the HC to be appointed as an AAG, he told The Daily Star citing the petition.

In the petition, Farhad prayed to the HC to issue a rule asking the government to show cause why their appointments and its inaction to establish an independent prosecution service to regulate all affairs of the law officers should not be declared illegal.

Advocate Farhad said the HC may hear the petition any day this week.