Yet again, the High Court yesterday shifted the date for passing order on the bail petitions of 12 pro-BNP-Jamaat lawyers accused of assaulting police and preventing them from carrying out their duties.
The order is now due today.
The court was originally expected to give the order on Monday. But it fixed yesterday for the order following a time prayer by the defence lawyers. The order was deferred again yesterday after Khandker Mahbub Hossain, a counsel for the accused, sought more time.
Mahbub, also the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, appealed to the court for deferring the order till tomorrow, saying senior lawyers were trying to reach a compromise to settle the case outside the court.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam vehemently opposed the prayer. He said there is no scope for a compromise in criminal cases.
Shahbagh police filed two cases against the lawyers on charges of assaulting police and preventing them from carrying out their duties on August 2 and 4 on the Supreme Court premises.
The accused are Mohammad Ali, Golam Mohammad Chowdhury Alal, ABM Waliur Rahman Khan, Gazi Kamrul Islam Sajal, Shahiduzzaman, Mirza Al Mahmud, Sharif Uddin Ahmed, Abdullah Al Mahmud, MU Ahmed, Ashrafuzzaman Khan, Golam Nobi and Mahmudul Islam Swapan.
Meanwhile, Khandker Mahbub Hossain and SCBA Secretary Badruddoza Badal yesterday met Chief Justice Mozammel Hossain, and informed him about the cases, attorney general's stance and their failure to strike a deal.
The chief justice did not give the SCBA leaders any assurance of taking initiative to settle the matter, Khandker Mahbub told reporters.
The SCBA's initiative for a compromise failed on Monday, as the pro-Awami League lawyers did not attend its meeting.
Source : The Daily Star
