Ctg lawyers agree to attend court during ‘shutdowns’

Lawyers of Chittagong have finally decided to attend court during shutdowns, ending a 26-year-old tradition, reports bdnews24.com.
They have taken this decision after weeklong parleys, marked by heated debates, processions and even fisticuffs.
Emerging from a meeting Tuesday, Chittagong Lawyers' Association President Mazibul Haque and General Secretary Enamul Haque announced that they had decided in the meeting to attend court proceedings.
President of the Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikya Jote Kabir Chowdhury also confirmed the decision.
Apart from leaders of the association, the meeting was also attended by its former president and general secretary.
Since the time of their joining the movement to bring down the military regime of HM Ershad in 1989, the lawyers of Chittagong had been abstaining from court proceedings during strikes.
The tradition had a paralysing effect on the functioning of courts in Chittagong during shutdowns.
On Sunday and Monday last, judges had to leave the courtrooms without hearing any case due to strong objections from pro -BNP-Jamaat lawyers.
However, on Tuesday, judges heard cases for sometime.
In the meantime, lawyers loyal to the BNP-Jamaat and the Awami League were engaged in heated arguments and scuffles at the Chittagong's new court building in the morning.
BNP-Jamaat loyalists also held a rally in support of the blockade-shutdown on the court premises at 10am.
When lawyers, supporting Awami League, went there with a procession, both sides got involved in heated arguments. Senior lawyers, however, quickly intervened to bring the situation under control.
After that, leaders of the lawyers' association huddled to discuss the matter and decided to participate in court proceedings even during shutdowns.