Masdar Hossain's licence suspended
Bar Council takes the action over Tk1.25cr misappropriation
The Bangladesh Bar Council has suspended the practising licence of lawyer Masdar Hossain, the much-talked-about petitioner seeking separation of the judiciary from the executive, over an allegation of misappropriating Tk1.25 crore from a client.
The decision came at an emergency meeting on the night of 15 April. A show-cause notice was also issued on him, asking why his registration should not be cancelled within 15 days.
According to a press release, the action follows a newspaper report published on 12 April that Masdar, a former district and sessions judge, misappropriated the money without serving the client.
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The client also submitted a written complaint to the Bar Council.
There were sufficient grounds for disciplinary action, and his licence will remain suspended until a final decision, the council said in the release.
Masdar is widely known for the landmark case "Masdar Hossain vs State". On 2 December 1999, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark verdict in the case, issuing 12 directives to ensure the separation of the judiciary from the executive.
One of those directives called for the formulation of service and disciplinary rules for lower court judges.
