Nine High Court (HC) judges have contested the chief justice's recommendation for appointing four judges to the Appellate Division.
They also demanded the appointment of two judges, who had been dropped during the regime of BNP-Jamaat alliance government, to the apex court.
Around two weeks ago, Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque has recommended the president to appoint four senior HC judges-- Justice MA Wahhab Miah, Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice M Imman Ali--to the Appellate Division.
The judges also threatened to quit the office, if their demand is not met, Supreme Court (SC) sources said.
The file over the appointment of four judges is now in the law ministry, and it will be sent to the president through the prime minister's office, law ministry sources said.
Following the judges' decision, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed has asked the officials concerned of his ministry not to move the file regarding the appointment of new judges, law ministry sources said.
The law minister also told the aggrieved judges, who had been dropped during the regime of BNP-Jamaat alliance government, that he would discuss the issue with the prime minister to decide the next course of action.
As per the provision of the constitution, president of the country appoints the judges of the Appellate Division and High Court Division of Supreme Court on recommendation by the chief justice
Some of the nine HC judges at a meeting at one of their colleagues' rooms on Monday have decided to go on leave for an indefinite period or even to resign, if their demand is not met, SC sources said.
They also met the law minister at his Indira Road residence at that night and requested him to consider their request to appoint Justice Md Momtazuddin Ahmed and Justice Md Shamsul Huda to the apex court to uphold their seniority.
Justice Md Momtazuddin Ahmed and Justice Md Shamsul Huda are senior to few of the four judges for whom the chief justice has recommended to the president.
The deprived judges feel that their seniority has been ignored due to the illegal decision of the BNP-Jamaat alliance government against them, and the SC has cancelled the then government's decision.
They also feel that if their seniority is not upheld and maintained in respect of elevating them to the Appellate Division, the decision of BNP-Jamaat government against them will be recognised and approved, according to the sources.
The deprived judges are Justice Md Momtazuddin Ahmed, Justice Md Shamsul Huda, Justice Faruque Ahmed, Justice Hasan Fayez Siddique, Justice Md Abdul Hye, Justice Md Abdur Razzaque, Justice Marzi-ul Huq, Justice Md Nizamul Huq and Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik.
They were reappointed on March 25, 2009, following a verdict of the SC. The verdict, however, did not permit the government to appoint them with seniority.
Justice Nizamul Huq is the chairman of International Crimes Tribunal, which is now holding the trial of 1971 war crimes.
If Justice Nizamul Huq goes on leave, the ongoing trial of war crimes may be hampered.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told The Daily Star that he did not know the decision of HC judges officially, and he has nothing to do in this regard.