Senior lawyers term attorney general’s directive ‘contemptuous’
Star Report
Attorney General (AG) Mahbubey Alam yesterday asked all attorneys recruited by the immediate past caretaker government to submit their resignation letters to him by Tuesday, sources at the AG office told The Daily Star.
The top law officer of the state told the attorneys at a meeting at his office in the evening that the existing law officers would be replaced as part of the government’s administrative reshuffle.
Meanwhile, senior lawyers say that the Attorney General has no jurisdiction to ask any law officer to submit their resignation and that this move by him is ‘contemptuous’.
According to sources, Mahbubey Alam also told the lawyers that the president would take a final decision on the matter.
When contacted by The Daily Star, the AG refused to comment, saying, “The meeting was an internal matter of his office.”
Some Supreme Court (SC) lawyers requesting anonymity said the Attorney General has no jurisdiction to ask any law officer to submit their resignations.
A lawyer said the Attorney General has the power to control his subordinate attorneys, but he cannot take any decision regarding their resignation.
“The Attorney General’s asking for the resignation letters of his subordinates is very much contemptuous,” he said.
“It’s the president of the country who appoints the law officers including the Attorney General on suggestions from the government to move the cases on behalf of the state before the highest judiciary,” the lawyer added.
Some deputy attorneys general (DAG) present at the meeting yesterday told The Daily Star that the law officers would be submitting their resignation letters to the Attorney General as per his instruction tomorrow.
Sources said the government has taken initiatives to appoint over 120 new attorneys as part of its reshuffle of the Attorney General’s office.
The Attorney General earlier said that he would request the authorities concerned to keep on efficient and honest law officers from among the existing attorneys.
There are now one Additional Attorney General (AAG), 27 Deputy Attorneys General (DAGs) and about 70 Assistant Attorneys General (AAGs) recruited by the immediate past caretaker government for moving cases on behalf of the state.
Courtesy: thedailystar.net
