Justice seekers across the country are facing prolonged delays due to the persistent absence of public prosecutors and government pleaders, appointed under the overthrown Awami League regime, from lower courts since the fall of the AL government amid a student-mass uprising on August 5.
Legal experts and court officials blamed the interim government鈥檚 failure to replace these officials since its installation on August 8.
Dhaka Bar Association president Khorshed Alam Mia told 抖阴精品 on Saturday that many cases were being delayed as judges were compelled to adjourn hearings during cross-examinations or depositions in the absence of public prosecutors, undermining the delivery of justice.
Court officials revealed that pro-Bangladesh Nationalist Party lawyers, without legal authority, had been voluntarily appearing in magistrate courts, supporting remand prayers submitted by the police and opposing pleas seeking bail for AL leaders, their associates and others.
Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua emphasised聽 that, under Section 495(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, only government-appointed prosecutors and designated police officers are authorized to represent the state.
However, pro-BNP lawyers opposed bail for detained film director Rafat Majumder Rinku on September 26 illegally.
The absence of public prosecutors is widespread, he said.
Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal鈥檚 special prosecutor Ali Asgar Swapan cited the changed political climate for his non-appearance in the court.
Public prosecutors in many districts and metropolitan areas, including Sylhet, have either refrained from attending courts or delegated their duties to juniors.
Efforts to replace Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu with criminal law expert Ehsanul Haque Shamoji on August 28 were unsuccessful due to protests from pro-BNP lawyers.
Law secretary Md Golam Rabbani acknowledged the delay in appointing new law officers and hoped that the law adviser would expedite the process soon.
Over 700 law officers, including 64 government pleaders, were appointed by the erstwhile AL government to conduct civil cases in district courts while 2,520 other law officers, including 68 public prosecutors, got appointments to handle criminal cases in metropolitan courts. Additionally, special public prosecutors were designated to various tribunals across the country.
