HC rejects writ challenging validity of lockdown, fines lawyer for not appearing for hearing

The High Court on Wednesday rejected a writ petition that was filed challenging the validity of the ongoing lockdown. Lawyer Yunus Ali Akand was also fined Tk10,000 for not appearing in court for the hearing but having filed the writ petition.

A virtual High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir issued the order.

When the writ petition came up for a hearing for the first time on 2 May, the petitioner's lawyer was not seen in the virtual court, so the court ordered "Not Today" on the matter. However, when the writ petition came up for hearing again on Wednesday the 5^th of May, Lawyer Yunus Ali Akand was absent once again.

According to the writ petition filed on 25 April, the right to movement of the people and the right to seek legal recourse cannot be suspended without declaring a state of emergency in the country as it is unconstitutional.

The writ petition sought the ongoing lockdown to be suspended, and also directives so that no new lockdowns can be imposed. The Secretary of the Ministry of Health and other concerned individuals were made defendants in the writ.

Over the years, controversial lawyer Yunus Akand has filed some 200 writs on various public issues with the High Court.

Last year, Lawyer Akand was barred from practising for three months by the Appellate Division for making disparaging remarks about the judiciary on Facebook. The court also fined him Tk25,000, and a jail term of 15 days in case of failure to pay the fine.