DHAKA, May 23: The High Court of Bangladesh on Monday slapped a ban on lawyers’ movements and campaigns in all the court premises. A High Court bench of Justice M.A. Matin and Justice Abdur Rahman issued a suo moto ex parte order of restrictions on lawyers’ ‘gathering, congregating, picketing or carrying out any “gherao”, in any court premises.

The ban came in the wake of lawyers’ movement and strike, led by the Supreme Court Bar Association.

“This injunction shall particularly be binding upon all advocates practising in any court of law in Bangladesh and, in the event of any breach by anyone of this order, proper steps to enforce this order shall be taken, including proceedings for contempt of court and, in the case of advocates, such steps shall include making orders prohibiting them from appearing in courts as advocates so long as they shall remain in contempt,” the high court order said.

The president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Mahbubey Alam, told reporters that the lawyers would ‘continue legal battles’ against the move.

“We will discuss the matter with the senior members of the association on Tuesday and then plan the next course of action,” he said.