It was total chaos in the chief justice's courtroom on Thursday as pro-BNP lawyers were screaming during the hearing of Khaleda Zia's bail petition in the Zia Charitable Trust case.
The uncalled-for situation forced all the six justices of the Appellate Division, including the chief justice (CJ), to leave the courtroom.
They also failed to hear other cases due to uproar.
Meanwhile, the apex court fixed December 12 for further hearing on the former prime minister's bail petition.
It also directed the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) vice-chancellor (VC) to submit the medical report on her health condition by December 11.
The court on November 28 sought the report to be placed be it by December 05 to know her latest physical condition before passing order on the bail plea.
As the hearing started at 9:30 am, attorney general Mahbubey Alam said, "The BSMMU VC informed me that Khaleda Zia had yet to undergo some medical tests. It requires time."
The CJ then fixed December 12 for further hearing and sought the report on December 11.
Advocate Zainul Abedin, who appeared in the court for Khaleda, then submitted a report prepared by a medical board formed on October 07 this year.
But the attorney general questioned the report, saying it was not an authentic body's report.
Mr Zainul further appealed to the court to consider it and granted her bail, but the court said it would hold hearing on two medical reports simultaneously.
He then prayed to fix the hearing date shortly or on December 09, but the apex court rejected it too.
At one stage, pro-BNP lawyers started shouting slogans in the courtroom, demanding her unconditional release.
Their continued shouting forced the justices to leave the place at 9:55 am.
Senior counsels Khandker Mahbub Hossain, AJ Mohammad Ali, Moudud Ahmed, Zainul Abedin and AM Mahbub Uddin Khokan got confined there at that time.
Attorney general, Supreme Court Bar Association president AM Amin Uddin, advocate Ajmalul Hossain and barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh were also confined.
After a long break, the justices again came into the court on 11:35 am and the BNP chief's lawyers tried to draw the attention of the court.
In reply, the CJ said, "You (pro-BNP lawyers) are trying to put pressure on us (court). We'll pass order on the basis of documents."
"There should be a limit to excesses. What you have done in the courtroom is unprecedented," he warned.
Advocate Mahbub tried to say something, but the CJ said the order has already been passed.
Then barrister Mainul Hosein prayed to the court to review the order, but that too was refused.
The court then asked a senior lawyer to proceed with a case. The lawyer started to place his argument.
But BNP-loyal lawyers chanted slogans like "We want justice, we want justice" and "We want bail for Khaleda Zia" interrupting court proceedings.
As things went awry, the justices left the courtroom at 1:15 pm.
After coming out of the courtroom, BNP lawyers held a press briefing in the Supreme Court auditorium.
Moudud, Mahbub and Zainul termed the courtroom situation unprecedented in the history of the judiciary and blamed the attorney general for the incident.
But pro-Awami lawyers, led by Yusuf Hossain Humayun and barrister Taposh, denied the allegations and pleaded with the CJ to take action against the anarchists.
They also made a call not to allow any lawyers in the apex courtroom, who were not enrolled for Appellate Division, during the next hearing.
A special court in Dhaka on October 29, 2018 convicted Khaleda in connection with the case and sentenced her to seven-year imprisonment. The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case against Khaleda, Harris, Ziaul and Monirul with Tejgaon police on August 08, 2011.
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