Courtroom Chaos
'A rehearsal for bigger incident'
National Professor Kabir Chowdhury speaks at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters' Unity yesterday. On his right is Justice Ghulam Rabbani and on his left is veteran journalist Kamal Lohani.Photo: STAR
A pro-liberation organisation yesterday expressed fear that Tuesday's chaos in the packed courtroom was a rehearsal for a much bigger and devastating incident that might take place in the future. Speaking at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters' Unity yesterday, leaders of Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, the organisation, strongly condemned the incident. They said if the government does not take bold actions against the perpetrators behind the incident, something far worse would happen. On Tuesday, chaos erupted in the courtroom as a High Court bench judges observed that opposition leader Khaleda Zia's comment on the constitution is tantamount to sedition. During the commotion, an opposition lawmaker threw a plastic object at the judges. “We demand strict legal actions against the people behind the incident to ensure that this does not repeat in the future”, said Shahriar Kabir, executive president of the committee (also known as Forum for Secular Bangladesh and Trial of War Criminals of 1971). The courtroom chaos broke out as rival lawyers were scuffling with each other, trading invectives, and shouted slogans. “The invectives turned into a scuffling, as some of the lawyers tried to attack me,” said Shahriar Kabir, who was present at the courtroom during the incident. “I could have lost my life unless some young lawyers shielded me,” he said, adding that he is now concerned about his safety and his lawyers and the judges of the court. “Courtroom is the last resort of justice for the distressed and helpless. But, if the lives of justice seekers, judges, and lawyers are threatened in the courtroom, where would we go? Who would protect us?” said Kabir, reading out a written statement. National Professor Kabir Chowdhury said this kind of conduct in the courtroom is beyond imagination. “The courtroom is a holy place to a civilised society”, he said. “You can create chaos and turmoil in a lot of place, but a courtroom is not one of them”. The incident was politically motivated, and it was meant to create instability in the court, said other speakers, demanding installation of surveillance cameras on the court premises. In a joint statement, Sweden, UK, Saudi Arabia, France, Italy, USA, Canada, Australia and Holland branches of the Forum for Secular Bangladesh and Trial of War Criminals of 1971 also condemned the incident and demanded legal actions against the culprits.
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