Four Judges in Panchagarh Skip Court Amid Protests by Anti-Discrimination Students

Local Correspondent

Four judges in Panchagarh, including the District and Sessions Judge, did not preside over court proceedings on Monday following protests by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement demanding their removal. The judges absent from their duties are District and Sessions Judge Md. Golam Faruk, Chief Judicial Magistrate Mehedi Hasan Mandal, Senior Judicial Magistrate Md. Ashraful Zaman, and Judicial Magistrate Abu Hena Siddiqui.

While other judges attended court, the absence of these four disrupted scheduled hearings, leading to the rescheduling of cases. The Panchagarh District Judge Court and Chief Judicial Magistrate Court premises saw a usual gathering of lawyers and litigants, but the absence of the four judges affected normal operations.

The protests began on Sunday, with activists blockading the court, locking its main gate, and obstructing roads, demanding the removal of the four judges. The demonstrators withdrew their protest around 8 PM after assurances from the district administration. The District Administrator promised that the four judges would not conduct any judicial activities in Panchagarh and would be transferred.

The situation highlights tensions between the judiciary and activists, with the latter accusing the judges of discriminatory practices. The district administration’s intervention has temporarily calmed the situation, but the long-term resolution remains uncertain.