Tensions in court premises over chanting 'Joy Bangla' slogan

Two groups of lawyers engaged in chase and counter chase in the court premise soon after the order to send former National Parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Choudhury to jail was issued.

The tense situation developed on Tuesday (April 7) afternoon at the CMM court premises in Dhaka.

Shirin Sharmin was detained by the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB) early this morning. She was produced before the CMM court in a case filed at Lalbagh police station for violence, vandalism and attempted murder during the July mass uprising. The hearing began at 3:15 pm and the court rejected both the remand and bail pleas and ordered her to be sent to jail at 3:40 pm.

While Shirin Sharmin was being taken down the stairs from the second floor of the court, the pro-Awami League lawyers kept chanting slogans 'Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu' and 'Shirin Apar Bhoy Nai, Rajpath Chhari Nai'. Later, when they came in front of the CMM court, the pro-BNP lawyers also chanted slogans in return. Tensions flared up due to the opposing slogans of the two groups, and at one stage, the pro-BNP lawyers removed the pro-Awami League lawyers from the court premises.

In this regard, pro-Awami League lawyer Kamrul Islam said, 'Joy Bangla is not a banned slogan, it is the main mantra of independence.' On the other hand, Harun-or-Rashid, assistant prosecutor of the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, said, 'The pro-Awami League lawyers were trying to create chaos, they were later removed.'