Dhaka: BNP senior leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Friday said the victory of pro-BNP panel in the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election has demonstrated the lawyers’ annoyance against the government’s ‘naked interference’ in the judiciary. 

Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, he also alleged that the jail authorities not cooperating with their Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s lawyers to receive her signed Vokalatnama (power of attorney) to move the cases in favour of her, hampering the legal steps.

‘The BNP-backed panel won with huge votes bagging 10 posts, including that of president and secretary, in the Supreme Court Bar Association elections. I, on behalf of BNP, congratulate them. This victory is a protest against the government’s nude interference in the judiciary,’ the BNP leader said 

Rizvi also said the Supreme Court lawyers have given the right verdict and registered their protest against the government’s ‘foul play’ with the judiciary.

Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikya Panel backed by the BNP-Jamaat alliance has won the SCBA polls defeating the Awami League-led alliance Sammilita Ainjibi Samannay Parishad.

According to the results announced around 7:30am today, BNP Vice-chairman Advocate Joynul Abedin from Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Oikya Panel was elected SCBA president while Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon general secretary of the bar association respectively outplaying their respective rivals. Awami League-supported Sammilita Ainjibi Samannay Parisad got four posts out of 14.

Rizvi said the government is playing a foul game by repeatedly interfering in Khaleda Zia’s case, stunning and disheartening people.

He alleged that the judiciary is now working as a weapon to fulfill the government’s desire. ‘Our judiciary is not free from the government’s influence. The number of farcical trial is gradually increasing.’

The BNP leader said the government is putting obstacle to receiving Khaleda’s signed power of attorney authorising lawyers to move the cases in favour of her only to prolong her stay in jail.

Mentioning that the BNP chairperson was shown arrested in four other cases after she was put in jail in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, he said her lawyers failed to take her signature in the Vokalatnama despite their repeated attempts. ‘Now they can’t take legal steps to defend her in the cases.’

He said the government has been trying to keep Khaleda in jail to establish its one-party monarchy deceiving voters in the next general election.

Rizvi warned that they will free their chairperson from jail and install a democratic government in the country through intensifying their movement.