The lawyers of Chittagong yesterday (Friday) urged Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha to set up a circuit bench of High Court in the port city. The lawyers came up with the demand at a press conference at Chittagong Press Club in the city. Advocate Shankar Prasad Dey, secretary of High Court Circuit Bench Bastabayan Parishad, read out a written statement at the conference. In his speech, Dey said that some Dhaka-based layers were creating obstacle to the establishment of the circuit bench in the commercial capital. “It will deal a severe blow to the income of some Dhaka-based lawyers if circuit bench is established in Chittagong. Apart from Dhaka-based lawyers, some people related with High Court have also reluctance in this regard,” said Dey. “There had a circuit bench of High Court in Chittagong from 1982 till 1989. There are 24 high courts for 29 states of India. Moreover, there are 14 circuit benches operational in India. Indian is the judicial model of Bangladesh. There will be no problem to conduct or manage circuit bench in Chittagong from Dhaka when India can conduct high court bench from Jalpaiguri or Kolkata,” added the lawyer.
“The government's plan for quicker disposal of cases cannot be realised if a circuit bench of the HC is not established in the port city. People living in Chittagong city face problems as they have to go to the capital for filing petitions with the HC,” said Dey.
“There is no legal bar to set up circuit bench of High Court in Chittagong. The expectation of litigants is now much more after 2007 when the judiciary was separated from the executive. Moreover, the establishment of the circuit bench will ease sufferings of the people to a great extent as they will not have to go to the capital,” the lawyer added.    
The press conference was attended by Advocate Abul Hashem, convener of High Court Circuit Bench Bastabayan Parishad, and Advocate Md Kashem Kamal, chief coordinator of the banner, among others. It may be mentioned that the lawyers of Chittagong city have been placing the demand for establishing a circuit bench of the High Court in the port city for a long time.