Kotwali Police on Saturday night registered two cases against 100 pro-Awami League lawyers for their alleged involvement in attacking a procession of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and creating obstruction to holding the foundation stone laying ceremony of a new building of the Dhaka Judge’s Court by the Prime Minister.

Md Delwar Hossain, Assistant Secretary of the Juba Dal, ward number- 74 under Sutrapur Thana filed both the cases mentioning the names of advocate Abu Abdullah, Shah Alam Talukder, Abdur Rahman Hawlader, Saiful Islam, Ali Akbar and Tapon.

Police arrested Advocate Moktar Hossain on charge of his involvement in the attack and creating obstruction to the foundation stone laying ceremony.

Advocate Moktar was produced before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) Khandkar Fatema Begum yesterday afternoon and the court ordered that he should be sent to the Dhaka Central Jail rejecting his bail prayer.

Over 100 lawyers led by the President and General Secretary of Dhaka Bar Association Alhaj Mohammad Ishrafil and Mokhlesur Rahman Badal moved the bail petition in connection with the two cases filed against him and other lawyers.

The court after hearing both sides, granted him bail in connection with the attempt to murder case but rejected bail in connection with the case under the Explosives Act.

Meanwhile, the leaders of different political parties and lawyers’ groups including the Awami League and the Communist Party of Bangladesh yesterday visited the Dhaka Bar Association office. The leaders included AL Presidium Member Abdus Samad Azad, Begum Matia Chowdhury and General Secretary Abdul Jalil, Barrister Amir-ul-Islam, Sudhangshu Shekhar Haldar and Abdul Baset Majumber, Advocate Ozair Farook, Mahbub Ali, CPB General Secretary Mujahedul Islam Selim, Delip Barua of Sammoyabadi Dal and Advocate Abdus Samad of Gano Azadi League.

After discussion with the visiting leaders, both the factions of the lawyers of the Dhaka Bar suspended their programmes till September 9.

BBC adds: An organisation of the lawyers titled six-point implementation council has announced a month-long action programme in protest against attack an lawyers at the Dhaka Judge's Court premises on Saturday. The anti-government lawyers' association blamed government supporters and police for the attack. This organisation has urged lawyers across the country to go to court wearing black badges.

The Dhaka Judge's Court premises was tense on Sunday following Saturday's clash there involving rival factions of lawyers.

Leader of the six-point Implementation Council Barrister Amirul Islam told BBC it was crystal clear that a group of armed cadres under the patronisation of the government unleashed reign of terror at the court premises on Saturday. Barrister Amirul Islam claimed the attack on lawyers was barbaric and heinous. Islam said, they urged lawyers across the country to go to court wearing black badges in the month of September in protest against this incident.

Besides, they will protest the incident on September 11 in Dhaka forming a human chain.

Talking to BBC about the incident at the Dhaka Judge’s Court premises, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Barrister Moudud Ahmed said he was an eyewitness of the incident. The Minister said the Prime Minister went there to attend a state function. He said this was not a political function. The Prime Minister attended the function to lay the foundation stone of a multi-storey building. "They were showering brick-bats at the pandal from the third floor where there were lawyers of different parties," Moudud said.

The Minister said that the attack on lawyers was a reaction to that. However, Moudud Ahmed said law would take its own course and legal action would be taken against those involved in creating disorder, confusion and attacks. The Law Minister said those who made attack first they would be identified and action would be taken against them. "I saw everything with my own eyes," he added.

He said he had seen black flags nowhere. They were preparing to show black flags and as part of it they threw brickbats from the third floor.

About the beating of journalists the Minister said it was very regretful.

UNB adds: The Dhaka Bar Association yesterday wrote to foreign diplomats based in Dhaka, seeking cooperation in upholding democratic values in Bangladesh.

The letter, signed by its president Advocate Mohammad Israfil and general secretary Advocate Md. Mokhlesur Rahman, contained a bitter criticism of what the bar association called the government’s repressive rule.

"Democracy and human rights are now in peril in Bangladesh as the armed cadres backed by the alliance government have unleashed a reign of terror across the country. The people have no guarantee of natural death," the letter reads.

A copy of the letter available to UNB narrated in detail the incident on the Dhaka District Court premises on Saturday.

It alleged that the lawyers of Dhaka Bar came under assault by Juba Dal activists and pro-government lawyers in presence of police before and after the Prime Minister’s arrival for laying the foundation of a multi-story building.

"We would now request you to use your good offices to put pressure on the concerned agencies for upholding democratic values in Bangladesh," the letter says.

Reliable sources said the copies of the letter were sent to major Foreign Missions in Dhaka.

Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) at a meeting yesterday condemned Saturday’s attack on the lawyers at the district court premises and demanded punishment to the culprits.

Terming the incident as brutal and shameless the meeting alleged that the ruling party cadres with the help of police pounced upon the lawyers.

Presided over by SCBA vice-president Subrata Chowdhury the meeting was addressed, among others, by Amirul Islam, Abdul Baset Majumder, Ozair Farooq, Khondker Mahbub Hossain, Shudhangshu Shekhar Halder and Abdul Matin Khasru.