Attorney General, 14 lawyers cleared in Bar election violence case

A Dhaka court has discharged Attorney General Barrister Md. Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Supreme Court Bar Council President and MP Barrister A M Mahbub Uddin Khokon, and 14 other lawyers from a case filed over alleged police assault and obstruction of duty during the 2023 Supreme Court Bar Association election.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana on Sunday (April 19) accepted the final police report and cleared the accused of all charges.

Earlier, investigators found no evidence against the accused and submitted a final report to the court on June 30 last year, recommending their acquittal.

According to case documents, the incident took place on March 15, 2023, during the Supreme Court Bar Association election, when clashes and alleged attacks on police occurred. A case was filed the following day at Shahbagh Police Station by Sub-Inspector Golap Uddin Mahbub, naming 14 lawyers including Khokon and Kazal as accused.

Those discharged include Advocate Manjurul Alam Sujon, Advocate Mahfuz Bin Yousuf, Advocate Nure Alam Siddiqui Sohag, Advocate Mahdin Chowdhury, Advocate Golam Akhtar Zakir, Advocate Kamrul Hasan Sohag, Advocate Kamrul Islam, Advocate Moktar Kabir Khan, Advocate Ashraf-uz-Zaman Khan, Advocate Salah Uddin Rigan, Advocate Kazi Zainal Abedin, and Advocate Mahbubur Rahman Khan, among others.