Staff Reporter :
The apex court has once again been seen turmoil as hundreds of students besieged the High Court on Wednesday, demanding the resignation of 12 judges accused of corruption.
Similarly, hundreds of lawyers staged demonstrations in solidarity, calling for accountability within the judiciary.
The protests escalated, and the entire court premises turned into a battleground, creating chaos within the judiciary.
This unrest signals the potential for continued instability until the issue is resolved.
Amid the growing protests, the newly appointed Chief Justice, Syed Refaat Ahmed, sought to pacify the situation by sending the 12 judges, accused of collaborating with the ousted Hasina government, on leave.
The Chief Justice invited them for tea in the morning, during which six judges attended the meeting.
They included Justices SM Moniruzzaman, Khondkar Diliruzzaman, Md Akteruzzaman, Shahed Md Nuruddin, SM Masud Hossain Dolon, and Md Aminul Islam. During this meeting, it was confirmed that they would be placed on leave.
Although six other judges did not attend the meeting, it was also decided that they would be placed on leave, regardless of their absence.
By the afternoon, protesters vacated the court premises after receiving assurances from Supreme Court Registrar General Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan that the 12 judges would not be assigned to any bench for the time being.
Students and lawyers from the Supreme Court Bar Association emphasized their demands, saying, “We have been protesting for the resignation of these judges since the fall of the government. Our demands must be met.”
Earlier, Advocate Shah Ahmed Badal, a coordinator of the protesting lawyers, stated that they had met with the Chief Justice on Tuesday to demand the resignation of the partisan judges.
“Taking leave is not a solution. Even if they go on leave, they remain judges. There is no justification for these judges to stay, backed by the state. We want their resignation,” he said.
Meanwhile, students continued their protest, demanding the resignation of the “partisan, corrupt, and fascist” judges.
Since 11:30 AM, the anti-discrimination movement surrounded the High Court, holding a sit-in within the Supreme Court premises.
Sargis Alam, a coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement, stated that corrupt and partisan judges should have no place in the courts.
Another coordinator, Hasnat Abdullah, remarked, “It is not possible to hold a fair trial with the accomplices of fascism.”
Both Alam and Abdullah made these comments while protesting in front of the annex building of the High Court.
Alam emphasized, “Crores of money are exchanged for verdicts. We must stop the practice of releasing the accused in exchange for money.
If this does not stop, we will go wherever we receive complaints. Partisan and corrupt judges should have no place in the courts.”
He also noted, “Accomplices of fascism are resurfacing in various forms. Whenever we see any of their misdeeds, we will take to the streets to resist them.
Our political parties may differ, our thoughts may vary, and we may vote for different candidates. But we are united in the fight against fascism.”
Coordinator Hasnat Abdullah commented that crores of money are being invested to break the unity of students and citizens. “But we will not let our unity be destroyed.
If we are to survive, we will survive together and fight together,” he added.
In parallel, the anti-discrimination lawyer community and the National Citizen Committee organized protest marches in front of the annex building of the High Court, demanding the resignation of the ‘corrupt’ judges.
Protesting lawyers stated that the fragile state of the country was also due to the actions of these partisan and corrupt judges.
They told the media that these judges have turned the directives of the ruling party into law. “They are responsible for the bloodshed. Sheikh Hasina found the courage to kill thousands of students and citizens.
The responsibility for disappearances and murders lies with these judges. They had the opportunity to step down voluntarily, but they did not.
We will continue our protests until these judges resign,” the lawyers said. During the protests, lawyers were heard chanting various slogans, including “Lawyers and the people, unite!”, “One demand, one demand, resign, partisans!”, “Beware of the ghosts of fascists!”, “We will not let the blood of Abu Sayeed go in vain!”, “We will not let the blood of my brother go in vain!”, and “One demand, one demand, resign, corrupt judges!”
As part of a previously announced sit-in, hundreds of students marched under the banner of the anti-discrimination student movement around 12:30 PM, taking a stand in front of the annex building. The protesting students asserted that the “fascist” judges of the ruling party must resign.
They warned that anyone attempting to rehabilitate these fascists would face opposition, stating that there would be no compromise with the blood of martyrs. “Every incident of student and civilian killings must be brought to justice. Those who have fled abroad, including Sheikh Hasina, must be brought back to face trial,” they declared.
This latest episode follows a previous attempt at a judicial coup, further underscoring the instability and contentious atmosphere surrounding the court.
On August 10, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement thwarted a judicial coup when former Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan convened a full court meeting without the consent of the interim government, allegedly aiming to destabilize it. Following the students’ siege of the court premises, Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan announced his resignation on the same day.