Pro-BNP lawyers to skip SC today

Pro-BNP lawyers have announced a programme to boycott the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday to protest the doubling of a jail term for BNP chief Khaleda Zia by the High Court (HC) in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, report agencies.

Following the verdict, Supreme Court Bar Association President and BNP vice chairman Advocate Zainul Abedin made the announcement at a news conference on the court premises.

On Tuesday, the HC scaled up the jail term to 10 years from five years for the former prime minister in the graft case.

The lawyers will abstain from work in the two divisions of the SC from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in protest against the 'unlawful' sentencing against the BNP chief, said Abedin.

He threatened to resist those who will try to obstruct their programme. "We'll go for tougher programme, if needed," he added.

Senior lawyer and BNP vice-chairman Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, SCBA secretary and BNP joint secretary general barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon and leaders of the association were present at the press conference.