Chittagong: Chief Justice (CJ) Surendra Kumar Sinha on Thursday said professional obligations require lawyers to protect rule of law and not to protect offenders.

"You are the souls of the judges who cannot write a single line without your cooperation . . . it is the lawyers who play the pioneering role in upholding rule of law," he told a function marking the opening of Chief Judicial Magistracy Court Building at Chittagong Court this evening.

The chief justice regretted the vandalism staged by a group of lawyers over the denial of bail prayers for a lawyer and his wife, calling it a "despicable incident".

"My heart bleeds (at the incident) . . . lawyers' responsibility is to establish the rule of law not to protect the offenders," Sinha said.

"Even, the architect of the independent Bangladesh and Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was also a student of law department at Dhaka University", the CJ added.

Sinha described the lawyers as groomers and patrons of the rule of law and urged them for upholding this noble profession. 

About the long cherished demand for setting up a circuit bench of the High Court in Chittagong, the CJ said the matter is under active consideration of the Prime Minister as the chief of the judiciary.

"If there is any circuit bench is set up outside the High Court, it will be in Chittagong", he said adding that the procedure is delayed due to shortage of judges in the High Court.

He also called for setting up training institutes and judicial complex for judges in every district to raise their efficiency and solve their accommodation problem. 

Law Minister Advocate Anisul Haque said the government tried the murder cases of Bangabandhu and his family members, four national leaders, war criminals and even the most sensational seven murders in Narayanganj.

The law minister called for a strong and balanced coordination between bar and bench for speedy disposal of huge pending cases and to ensure justice and rule of law.

Referring to the problems of the judges, the minister said the present government is going to construct 42 chief judicial magistracy court buildings at district level involving Taka 2,388 crore. 

"Out of the 42 court buildings, 12 have already been constructed while the rests will be completed by 2018", he added.

Presided over by Chittagong District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Helal Chowdhury, it was addressed, among others, by Law Secretary Abu Saleh Sheikh Mohammad Johurul Haque, Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong Ruhul Amin, Chief Judicial Magistrate Munshi Mohammad Moshiur Rahman and President of Chittagong District Bar Association Advocate Kafil Uddin.