Pro-BNP lawyers stage a sit-in at the High Court during the oath taking of four additional HC judges yesterday. The lawyers were protesting the swearing-in of Ruhul Quddus and Khasruzzaman describing the two as controversial.Photo: STAR

Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque yesterday administered oath to four additional High Court judges amid raucous demonstrations by pro-BNP-Jamaat lawyers.
Supreme Court Bar Association President Khandker Mahbub Hossain and Secretary Bodruddoza Badal led the agitation to protest the swearing-in of Ruhul Quddus and M Khasruzzaman, two of the four judges.
Khairul Haque's predecessor Justice Fazlul Karim had declined to administer oath to the two, citing “unavoidable reasons”.
President Zillur Rahman appointed Quddus and Khasruzzaman as HC judges along with 15 others on April 11.
The other two sworn in yesterday are Nazrul Islam Talukder and Farid Ahmed. They were appointed on November 1.
The lawyers faithful to BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami have demanded resignation of the chief justice for “administering oath to persons with controversial past”. They have also announced they would boycott the courts of Quddus and Khasruzzaman.
The pro-opposition lawyers have all along been against the appointment of the two.
Quddus was an accused in a murder case filed in 1988 and Khasruzzaman in a case filed for vandalising the attorney general's office in 2006.
The High Court has recently dismissed both the cases.
Khairul Haque, who was sworn in as chief justice over a month ago, termed the lawyers' demonstrations “unwarranted”. He said he was oath-bound to conduct the swearing-in, and in doing so has upheld the constitution.
Meanwhile, the lawyers loyal to the ruling Awami League have greeted the apex court chief for formally inducting the recently appointed judges.
Led by Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, they also gave reception to the four judges yesterday afternoon.
At that time, the pro-BNP-Jamaat lawyers were staging a sit-in in front of the courtrooms of Justices Ruhul Quddus and Khasruzzaman.
Earlier, the oath-taking ceremony was held at the Judges' Lounge of the Supreme Court between 11:10am and 11:30am.
Judges of both the Appellate and HC divisions were present at the function, which was originally scheduled to begin at 10:30am.
Before the ceremony got underway, the lawyers with allegiance to BNP-Jamaat and the ruling AL jostled near the chief justice's chamber. They hurled abuse at each other.
Those against the oath-taking blocked the entrance to the Judges' Lounge for around an hour. They shouted slogans against the chief justice and the two HC judges.
Besides the SC bar president and the secretary, senior lawyers Moudud Ahmed and Rafiqul Islam Mia were among the protesters.
At around 11:00am, Armed Police Battalion men made the agitating lawyers leave the place.
The BNP-Jamaat lawyers held the sit-in outside the courtrooms of the two judges from 2:00pm to 3:00pm as per a decision by the SCBA.
Shortly after the swearing-in ceremony, the bar association leaders met at the South Hall of the SCBA and decided to wave black flags and stage a sit-in.
At the meeting, they condemned the chief justice for administering oath to Ruhul Quddus and Khasruzzaman. They also decided to stay away from the courts of the two judges.
The opposition lawyers said Justice Khairul Haque has insulted his predecessor.
Talking to reporters after the ceremony, the chief justice said he administered oath to the judges to fulfil his constitutional obligations.
“A bad precedent would have been set, had I shied away from the job,” he observed.
Justice Haque said he had consulted senior lawyers of the top court about the matter and almost all of them advised him to administer oath to the judges appointed by the president.
“They [lawyers] told me it is my constitutional duty to administer oath to the judges [Ruhul Quddus and Khasruzzaman]. They also reminded me that doing so might mean a waning popularity for me,” he said.
“But I did not think of my popularity, as I have sworn an oath to protect the constitution,” Justice Haque added.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters that the government should take legal action against those who caused the ruckus in front of the chief justice's chamber. The video footage of the incident might come in handy in identifying the “troublemakers”, he added.
Alam also said those who yelled and brought out processions near the chief justice's court have violated the 2005 High Court directives restricting meetings and processions on the apex court premises.
He also said Justice Khairul Haque has upheld the constitution by officiating at the oath ceremony.
Asked about the attorney general's comments, SCBA Secretary Bodruddoza Badal told The Daily Star the constitution of the republic does not permit the chief justice to administer oath to someone who had been accused in a killing case and “involved in vandalism” at the SC.