3 new judges inducted to Appellate Division

Three judges, latest additions to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, took oath yesterday morning on the apex court premises.

Justice Mirza Hussain Haider, Justice Md Nizamul Huq and Justice Mohammad Bazlur Rahman were sworn in by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha at the SC Judges' Lounge.

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President Md Abdul Hamid on Sunday promoted the three judges from the HC Division to the Appellate Division. Now, there are nine judges in the Appellate Division.

After the oath ceremony yesterday, Chief Justice SK Sinha reconstituted two benches of the apex court including the newly elevated judges.

Meanwhile, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), dominated by pro-BNP lawyers, protested the government's move in promoting judges to the apex court.

"Justice Md Nizamul Huq and Justice Mohammad Bazlur Rahman were promoted by superseding 30 other HC judges," said SCBA President Khandker Mahbub Hossain at a press conference at its auditorium.  He said a question was raised in people's mind over the appointment of judges "violating seniority".   

Khandker Mahbub, also an adviser to the BNP chairperson, said a guideline for recruitment of judges needed to be formulated. "We will protest and take a tough stand if any judge is appointed before the guideline was formulated."

Attorney General Mahbubey Alalm, who greeted the three judges at the chief justice's court, told journalists that no violation of seniority took place in promoting the HC judges. Justice Nizamul and Justice Bazlur were appointed in 2001 but it was not confirmed by the then BNP-Jamaat alliance government although the then chief justice had recommended it, he said.

If they had been confirmed following the chief justice's recommendation in 2003, they would have already been promoted, the attorney general added.