Businesses demand Circuit Bench with admiralty jurisdiction in Ctg

CHITTAGONG, Apr 18: Businesses and professionals demanded today setting up a Circuit Bench of High Court with admiralty jurisdiction in Chittagong.

President of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) Mahbubul Alam said Chittagong is a port city and the commercial capital which keeps country's economic cycle moving. But the businesses have to go to Dhaka for remedial measures involving port, customs and VAT related cases as there is no Circuit Bench of the High Court in Chittagong.

Prof Dr Zakir Hossain and Prof Dr Abdulla al Faruk of the Law Faculty at Chittagong University and Mazharul Haque Shah spoke on the occasion as guest speakers.

They were addressing an opinion exchange meeting organised by High Court's Circuit Bench Implementation Council, Chittagong at the CCCI auditorium. The event was chaired by its convener Advocate Abul Hashem and moderated by Advocate Shankar Prasad Dey and Advocate Kashem Kamal.

Prof Zakir Hossain said the admiralty courts in almost all the countries in the world have been set up beside the ports. "It is possible to introduce the Circuit Bench in Chittagong under the existing legal framework and in the light of Article 100 of the Bangladesh Constitution. What is required is the political will of the government and initiative of the Chief Justice," he said.

"Both the executive and the judiciary of the country have broken the law of the land by not fulfilling the just demand of the people," he added.

Prof Abdullah al Faruk said there is no legal bar in setting up the Circuit Bench with admiralty jurisdiction in Chittagong. "The main obstruction may come from some political persons and some self-seeking lawyers based in Dhaka," he said.

Advocate Mahbub Uddin Ahmed, Shamsuddin Ahmed Mirza, AM Anwarul Kabir and Md Kabir Chowdhury expressed solidarity with the demand.

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