Chief Justice leaves courtroom amid heated exchange with SCBA president

Chief Justice Jubayer Rahman Chowdhury left the Appellate Division bench on Tuesday, September 8, following a heated exchange with Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon during a hearing over a fine imposed on a lawyer for concealing information.

The incident took place at the Appellate Division in the afternoon. According to eyewitness lawyers, the exchange began during the hearing of a case in which a lawyer was fined Tk 5 lakh for concealing information. At that point, Barrister Khokon told the Chief Justice that lawyers' incomes had decreased since he took office as Chief Justice.

The remark triggered a heated argument between the Chief Justice and the Bar Association president, creating tension among the lawyers present. As the situation escalated, Chief Justice Jubayer Rahman Chowdhury and other judges of the Appellate Division left the bench around 12:30pm.

Following the incident, lawyers were seen discussing the matter on the court premises. However, no formal statement was immediately available from either the Chief Justice or the SCBA president.

Journalists are not permitted entry into the Appellate Division bench under Chief Justice Jubayer Rahman Chowdhury, which prevented direct newsgathering from inside the courtroom.