Lawyers clash

It is no secret that sharp political divisions exist among the lawyers. It is also known that these raucous divisions do not revolve around competing visions of better professionalism. But nobody ever thought that these would be carried to a point where two rival groups would be locked in a bloody brawl.

The trouble started when the AL supporters among the lawyers, wearing black badges, planned to greet Prime Minister Khaleda Zia with black flags when she arrived in front of the Bar building to lay the foundation stone of the annex building of the district sessions judge's court--a programme that the lawyers loyal to the BNP opposed vehemently. However, reports also say that the pro-AL lawyers were only protesting their being not invited to the foundation stone laying ceremony.

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Whatever might have been the 'background of violence', the attack was absolutely unjustifiable as long as the demonstrators remained peaceful. The gates of the place were closed by the attackers before they assaulted their rivals. No less outrageous was the rampaging of some rooms of the Bar building and trampling of the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Even the on-duty journalists performing their professional duties were not spared. At least 10 photojournalists and two court correspondents of some leading dailies sustained injuries as they were beaten up by the pro-government lawyers.

We strongly condemn the attack on the press, particularly because it came from people supposed to protect the rights of citizens from the hands of unruly elements.

The incident took place at a time when lawlessness of a rabid kind is threatening to destabilise society in many ways. The lawyers have also voiced their concern time and again over the worsening crime scenario. But what recourse will people have when the lawyers themselves are found in the unlikely role of muscle-flexing attackers unable to see anything beyond demolishing opposition?