Former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Zainul Abedin today urged Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain to immediately resume the regular functions of courts across the country for the interest of lawyers and litigants.

"If the regular court activities are not resumed, lawyer will have to leave their profession," he told a press briefing at the SCBA auditorium.

Advocate Zainul Abedin, also a vice chairman of BNP, said only 3 percent of lawyers can be involved in the ongoing virtual court functions and only 5 percent litigants are getting its benefits while others are being deprived of the facilities.

A repercussion has been created among most of the lawyers as they cannot practice law in the regular courts, he said.

Advocate Zainul Abedin requested the chief justice to take necessary steps to resume the regular court functions strictly following health guidelines.

The regular activities of courts across the country including Appellate and High Court Divisions of the Supreme Court remained closed since March 26 due to ongoing coronavirus outbreak.                   

On May 10, Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain issued some directives for the courts on dealing with urgent cases through using information and communication technology during the ongoing closure.

The Supreme Court Bar Association’s outgoing president Advocate Zainul Abedin today demanded immediate release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail on bail, saying that “she is being pushed towards death day by day”.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been kept in jail for a long period of time through filing of political cases against her, but the government has no intention to release her, Advocate Zainul, also a vice chairman of BNP and a lawyer for Khaleda, said while addressing a press conference at the SCBA auditorium.

The outgoing executive committee of the SCBA led by Zainul Abedin will hand over its responsibility to its newly elected committee led by Advocate AM Aminuddin tomorrow. The new committee was elected in the election held on March 13 and 14.

Zainul Abedin said after the High Court grants bail to Khaleda Zia in any case, the attorney general’s office files a petition with the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the HC order of bail to her.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam is working for the government, not for the state, he commented.

Replying to a question from the reporters, SCBA Secretary Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, also a joint secretary general of BNP, said neither Khaleda Zia nor his family has applied for her release on parole.

Even, the government has not proposed for Khaleda Zia’s release on parole, he said, adding that they heard about the issue of parole for Khaleda through media and it might be a strategy of the government to divert the nation’s attention about her illness.

Barrister Khokon also said that a conspiracy is going on to transfer Khaleda Zia to the jail in Keraniganj through admitting her to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).