Bangladesh News

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) did not accord farewell to outgoing Chief Justice Md Ruhul Amin on his last day in office yesterday in protest against some recent judgments of the apex court.

This was for the third time the SCBA refrained from giving farewell to a retiring chief justice.

Earlier, the lawyers’ body did this in the case Syed JR Mudassir Husain, who retired as chief justice on February 28 last year, for his ‘arbitrary reconstitution ‘of the court benches during his tenure, members of the SCBA said.

And In 1989, it did not bid farewell to the then chief justice AFKM Munim protesting his ‘controversial role’ in the judiciary.

Meanwhile, Ministerial Service Association, a body of the SC office staff, yesterday accorded farewell to Justice Ruhul Amin, who retires tomorrow.

Journalists however did not cover the farewell ceremony held at the judges’

lounge as some security staff of the SC misbehaved with the them. The aggrieved journalists later asked the SC registrar to take action in this regard.

He assured them of looking into the matter.

On the last working day of Justice Ruhul Amin, a three-member SC bench headed by him dealt with 10 cases that were on the cause list yesterday.

The court however did not hear the petition for reviewing its judgement striking down the High Court (HC) verdict that it (HC) has jurisdiction to hear and dispose of bail petitions filed by the accused in criminal cases under the Emergency Power Rules (EPR).

The SC judgment, published recently, said the HC may consider bail petitions in cases filed under the EPR on three grounds. And SC lawyer Idrisur Rahman on Wednesday filed a petition for review of the judgment.

Chamber Judge of the SC Justice MA Matin had referred the matter to the full bench of the court for hearing yesterday, but it was not the cause list.

The SCBA decision not to give farewell to the outgoing chief justice was taken at an urgent meeting on May 11.

Meanwhile, the president on May 25 appointed Justice MM Ruhul Amin as the next chief justice, superseding Justice Mohammad Fazlul Karim, the senior most SC judge. The president will administer oath to the new chief justice at the Bangabhaban on June 1.

SC Registrar Iktedar Ahmed yesterday told newsmen that Justice Fazlul Karim did not come to the court since Wednesday. He however did not inform the chief justice about it.