What happened at the CMM’s court yesterday is not desirable. One cannot possibly resist demonstrations around the court specially if these are made by lawyers in their professional black attires. And the occasion is universally known as quite capable of arousing a sense of outrage in even the most equanimous of men — persons charged with 15th August assassinations of Bangabandhu and his family filing into the court. But the expression of the outrage could be more poignant if done with restraint.

What was quite unacceptable was the shouting inside the court — and by lawyers themselves. Rather than the noisy castigations compromising the sanctity of the court-room and its proceedings with the presiding judge present and at work, an atmosphere of serious calm would have made the atmosphere more tellingly that which the worked up lawyers wanted it to be. After all it was punishment that was being sought against the charged ones, and the demand gains weight if done with solemnity, not otherwise. The sanctity of the court-room in session must at all cost be maintained — not by external pressure but by all those who are allowed in.

It is deplorable that Mrs Zobeida Rashid, one of the accused was even spitted on her way out of the court. No demonstrator should be allowed to trifle with the state protection that the accused are under.

This Is possibly the most serious case coming to any law court in Bangladesh in the past hunared years — involving the murder of a ruling President and his entire family. This seriousness must not be allowed to be compromised.