Protesters Storm Chapainawabganj Court Premises Over Judge Remarks on Power Situation
Photo Collected
CHAPAINAWABGANJ — Tensions escalated at the Chapainawabganj District and Sessions Judge Court on Sunday as activists from the Swechchhasebak Dal and Chhatra Dal staged a protest, leading to the destruction of glass fixtures in the courtroom and the judge’s private chamber.
The incident occurred around midday on the second floor of the court’s second building. Witnesses reported that protesters shattered glass panes on the door of the judge’s private chamber and the main courtroom entrance. Local police were dispatched to the scene and successfully brought the situation under control shortly after.
The protest reportedly began following a hearing regarding a 2023 explosives case. Babar Ali, member secretary of the district Swechchhasebak Dal, stated that he and several others had appeared in court to seek bail, which the judge granted. Ali alleged that the presiding judge criticized the government’s handling of the power situation during the proceedings and made favorable remarks about the previous administration. Ali claimed that he and his supporters protested these remarks outside the courthouse and demanded the judge’s removal within 72 hours. He denied any involvement in the vandalism, suggesting that closed-circuit television footage should be reviewed to identify the perpetrators.
Conversely, Assistant Public Prosecutor Farhad Hossain offered a conflicting account of the proceedings. Hossain denied that the judge criticized the government, asserting instead that the judge had requested that those present ensure uninterrupted power supply during court hours due to widespread outages. According to the prosecutor, this request prompted the Swechchhasebak Dal and Chhatra Dal members to initiate a disturbance.
Hossain detailed that the protesters first targeted the glass door of the judge’s private chamber before damaging the main courtroom entrance.
Inspector (Operations) Abdur Rouf of the Sadar Police Station confirmed the incident, characterizing the scale of the damage as limited. He stated that police arrived promptly to restore order and ensure the safety of the court premises. No arrests have been officially reported in connection with the vandalism at this time.
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