Speaking on points of order, AL lawmakers accused the government of interfering in judges' work and pegged as untrue Law Minister Moudud Ahmed's statement in the Jatiya Sangsad on Wednesday on the writ petition filed by a district and sessions judge.

The treasury bench members counter-charged the previous AL government with robbing the independence of the judiciary and excoriated a stick procession led by former home minister Mohammad Nasim against judges.

The debate opened when Nasim took floor on a point of order at the beginning of yesterday's sitting and accused the government of putting pressure on District and Sessions Judge Shaikh Jahangir Husain to set free some notorious criminals, including Sweden Aslam.

"But the law minister told parliament on Wednesday that the judge in his writ petition did not mention government pressure on him. The law minister gave untrue information to the House," Nasim asserted.

"Judges are facing difficulties in discharging their constitutional duties because of naked interference in the judiciary by the government."

He said two public prosecutors at a press conference brought allegations against the judge in an unprecedented example.

He said opposition deputies submitted several notices demanding discussion in parliament on important issues, including the foreign policy and independence of the judiciary.

After Nasim's speech, Speaker Jamir Uddin Sircar said the judge's writ petition was sub judice and the issue should not be discussed in parliament.

Taking the floor next, Shipping Minister Akbar Hossain said a former home minister who led a procession wielding sticks against judges should not talk about independence of the judiciary, amid shouts of 'shame, shame' from the treasury benches.

Opposition Chief Whip Abdus Shahid also termed the law minister's statement as untrue.

Chief Whip Khandakar Delwar Hossain accused the then AL government of snatching the independence of the judiciary by the fourth amendment to the constitution in 1974.

On the writ petition filed by the judge, the chief whip said it would not be logical to make any comment on the issue.

"We don't have the jurisdiction of discussing a matter which is sub judice," he added.

Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Shah Mohamamd Ruhul Quddus on a point of order said AL lawmakers should express sorrow for Wednesday's bedlam in parliament.

The Jamaat is the second largest constituent of the four-party ruling coalition.

Opposition deputies gathered and protested in the well of the House yesterday against the switching off of the microphone of veteran AL lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition Abdul Hamid accused the speaker of bias towards the treasury bench in running the House.

"The speaker becomes alert when we speak on the floor, but the scene shifts dramatically when the treasury bench members speak."