Heated exchange between judge and lawyer halts proceedings in Ctg court

A heated exchange between a judge and a lawyer in the Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate's Court today (22 October) led to an unexpected disruption, with the presiding judge leaving the courtroom and other magistrates following suit. 

The incident occurred around 12:30pm in the courtroom of Metropolitan Magistrate Oli Ullah, located on the second floor of the Chattogram court building, according to officials and witnesses. 

Showaibul Islam, who was injured during the student movement on 17 July, came to the court to file a case naming 126 individuals as accused. 

Showaibul's lawyer Ashraf Hossain Chowdhury, general secretary of the Chittagong District Bar Association and newly appointed public prosecutor of Chattogram District, pleaded the court to accept the case and forward the statement to a police station for further action.

According to witnesses, the court initially accepted the plaintiff's statement, but tensions arose when the judge instructed Showaibul to provide the names of all the accused. 

The plaintiff named only a few individuals, prompting his lawyer to intervene, arguing that it was impractical to list every accused person in that manner. This led to a heated exchange between the judge and the lawyer. The back-and-forth grew increasingly tense, with words escalating into what some described as a commotion in the courtroom. 

At one point, Magistrate Oli Ullah, appearing visibly frustrated, ordered the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate the case. Then the judge left the courtroom.

After his departure, other judges also vacated their courtrooms in a show of solidarity. By 1:30pm, reports indicated that several magistrates had gathered in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's office to discuss the situation.

Chittagong Metropolitan Police Additional Deputy Commissioner (Prosecution) Mofizur Rahman later confirmed that the magistrates had resumed their duties after the incident. 

"The magistrates returned to their courtrooms in the afternoon," he said, suggesting that the situation had calmed down.