Although only the High Court (HC) division judges were supposed to refrain from court proceedings for two days that started yesterday, the Appellate Division judges also refrained from work. They, however, attended their offices.

The judges started work abstention demanding apologies from the SC lawyers and punishment of vandals responsible for the vandalism at the SC premises on November 30 that was triggered by a stay order by the chief justice.

On November 30, minutes before a High Court bench was preparing to announce rulings on three writ petitions filed by 14-party alliance leaders, Chief Justice Syed JR Mudassir Husain stayed the proceedings of the petitions.

Pro-BNP lawyers yesterday submitted a memorandum to the president and chief adviser requesting him to take action against the perpetrators of the November 30 incident.

On the other hand, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) yesterday condemned the filing of sedition cases against eminent lawyers of the country and demanded withdrawal of those.

Meanwhile, Shahbagh police yesterday sent the two sedition cases to the court of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM), as the cases were registered as regular ones.

Barrister Omar Sadat and SC Keeper Rafiqul Islam filed the sedition cases with the CMM and Shahbagh Police Station on Monday and Tuesday.

Barrister Sadat accused eminent lawyers including Rokanuddin Mahmud, Enayetur Rahim, Subrata Chowdhury, Sheikh Awsafur Rahman and outsiders of vandalising the offices of the attorney general and the chief justice as well as for creating disturbance in court proceedings on November 30.

The lower court earlier directed the Shahbagh police to investigate the matter and take the case as a regular case if they find the allegation to be truthful.

After the initial probe, police yesterday registered both cases as regular ones and made Sub-Inspector Akhtar Morshed the investigation officer (IO).

The SC keeper brought charges against 200 lawyers including Dr Kamal Hossain, Rokanuddin Mahmud, Amir-Ul Islam and Tania Amir, their assistants and outsiders.

Meanwhile, lawyers loyal to both alliances -- the four-party and the 14-party -- continued demonstrating on the SC premises pressing their respective demands.

A group of Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum led by former law minister Moudud Ahmed yesterday submitted a memorandum to the President and Chief Adviser to the caretaker government Iajuddin Ahmed requesting his intervention in the matter.

The four-party loyalist lawyers also demonstrated yesterday on the court premises and again urged all not to carry on the court proceedings until the vandals of the November 30 incident are punished.

The SCBA leaders, on the other hand, said at a rally on the court premises that the cases were filed to divert the focus of public attention. They also urged the judges to return to their offices and start court proceedings.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Supreme Court Ainjibi Sahokary Samity, an association of the SC lawyers' assistants, also demonstrated and held a rally yesterday on the court premises demanding withdrawal of their names from the case filed by the SC keeper.

The Samity decided to submit a memorandum to the SC registrar demanding removal of Rafiqul Islam, the SC keeper. They would go for tougher programmes if their demand were not met.

Meanwhile, officials of the attorney general will stage a token hunger strike today in protest at the November 30 vandalism.

Sammilito Ainjibi Samannay Parishad condemned filing of sedition cases against prominent lawyers including Dr Kamal Hossain, Amir-Ul Islam and Rokanuddin Mahmud falsely. The Parishad also demanded Iajuddin Ahmed's resignation from the chief adviser position of the caretaker government and decided to observe 'Protest Day' today by organising lawyers' rallies and processions all over the country.