A group of pro-BNP lawyers today attacked Swapan Krishna Roy Chowdhury, a lawyer for Awami League advisory council member Amir Hossain Amu, in the courtroom in the presence of a Dhaka magistrate during a remand hearing in a murder case.

With this, at least four incidents of assault on defense lawyers took place in the premises of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court of Dhaka since August 14. Of these, two incidents of aggression took place in courtrooms.

Witnesses said lawyer Swapan was attacked in the courtroom around 11:45 a.m. while Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shahin Reza was hearing a 10-day preventive prayer sought for AL leader Amu in a case filed for the death of a trader, Abdul Wadud, in the New Market area of ​​Dhaka. .

The lawyer was also kicked out of the courtroom, they added.

“While Dhaka Metropolitan Prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqi was speaking in the courtroom in favor of granting Amu’s remand, Swapan commented that the state attorney’s speech was political,” said a lawyer who was present during the hearing. .

“At that time, some unruly lawyers physically assaulted him and threw him out of the courtroom,” he added.

In the court premises, Swapan told reporters that the state’s lawyers attacked him in the presence of the magistrate when he said that the state’s lawyer was making a political speech in the remand hearing.

“I did not get security in court because I defended my client,” he claimed.

State lawyer Omar Faruq Faruqi, a top leader of a pro-BNP lawyers’ platform, told The Daily Star: “None of my fellow lawyers were involved in assaulting anyone.”

“The assault incident took place between two groups of defense lawyers,” he claimed.

On August 14, some unruly lawyers, mostly pro-BNP lawyers, assaulted lawyer Faruque Ahmed in the courtroom as he intended to defend Salman F Rahman, former private industry and investment adviser of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and former law minister Anisul Huq in a murder case.

On October 17, when lawyer Sheikh Farid came out of the CMM Court building, a group of pro-BNP lawyers assaulted him, kicking and punching him even after he fell to the ground.

On October 22, lawyer Morshed Hossain Shahin spoke to reporters outside the CMM Court building after defending former independent MP Syed Sayedul Haque Sumon. Suddenly, a pro-BNP lawyer approached and hit Morshed on the head.

WHAT THE LAWS SAY

Legal experts say that no one is above the law as per the constitution and existing laws of Bangladesh.

“If this attack on defense lawyers continues, people’s trust and respect for the legal profession will be destroyed,” said one legal expert, who did not want to be named.

Article 17 of the Constitution talks about equality before the law.

It states: “All citizens are equal before the law and are entitled to equal protection of the law.”

Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights also states: “All are equal before the law and have the right, without any discrimination, to the equal protection of the law.” Everyone has the right to equal protection against any discrimination that violates this Declaration and against any incitement. to such discrimination”.