The Supreme Court (SC) today (January 11) barred two lawyers from practicing any case for the next four weeks for writing a letter with "some derogatory statements" to the Chief Justice (CJ).

The lawyers are, Mohammad Moshin Rashid and Shah Ahmed Badal.

The Appellate Division of the SC also ordered them to give a written explanation on their roles in regard to the letter within this time and ordered them to appear on February 8.

Earlier in the morning, Rashid and Badal appeared before a four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan in compliance with its summons order.

Senior lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali sought time on behalf of Rashid and Badal from the court for giving explanation.

Nationalist Lawyers Forum, a pro-BNP lawyers' organization, announced a court boycott program from January 1 to January 7 at a press conference held on December 27.

On January 3, the apex court summoned them over their letter to the chief justice informing him of their court boycott programme. Rashid, convener of an "adhoc committee" of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), and its member secretary Badal, were asked to appear before the bench of the Appellate Division around 9:00am today (January 11) to explain their roles in the issuance of the letter.

Rashid and Badal submitted the letter to the SC registrar general's office on January 1 for forwarding to the chief justice. The letter was placed before the chief justice on January 2.

BDST: 1652 HRS, JAN 11, 2024
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