Security at the Cox’s Bazar court complex has come under renewed scrutiny following allegations that a judge was threatened with a pistol and a subsequent daylight shooting left several people injured.
A district judge-level judicial officer in Cox’s Bazar told Jugantor that a young man allegedly pointed a pistol at a judge inside the court premises on 30 November, creating a serious security concern within the judicial complex.
Following the incident, two other judges summoned the then officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, Chamiuddin, and requested that CCTV footage from the court premises be reviewed and appropriate action taken against the person involved. The matter was also brought to the attention of the district’s police superintendent.
However, according to the judge, no effective action was taken following the complaint. The lack of a visible response has raised questions about whether security concerns raised by judicial officers were adequately addressed.
The matter took another turn in January, when several judges holding district judge-level positions wrote to Cox’s Bazar Superintendent of Police A.N.M. Sajedur Rahman requesting personal security guards. The request was made after the reported pistol incident, amid concerns over the safety of judges working in the district.
The judges, however, did not receive the requested security personnel. They also reportedly received no response to their written request.
While concerns over judicial security remained unresolved, a more serious incident occurred on 24 May. Gunfire broke out in broad daylight inside the court premises, leaving two people with gunshot wounds and several others injured.
The incident heightened concerns among people who regularly attend the court, including judges, lawyers, litigants, witnesses and members of the public. A court complex is routinely crowded, particularly on working days, making any armed confrontation within its premises a potentially serious threat to public safety and the uninterrupted functioning of the justice system.
The incidents have also raised broader questions about security arrangements at the court complex, including surveillance, control over access to the premises and the authorities’ response to complaints involving weapons.
Cox’s Bazar District Bar Association President Advocate Md Abdul Mannan said he had not witnessed such a deterioration in the district’s law-and-order situation since independence. He also pointed to growing fear in parts of Ukhia and Teknaf, saying that in many areas a tense silence reportedly descends before evening because of fear of criminal activity.
The concerns extend beyond the court premises. Cox’s Bazar has long faced law-and-order challenges linked to its geographical location and the movement of large numbers of people through different parts of the district. Ukhia and Teknaf, in particular, have experienced complex security pressures, making effective policing and public safety measures a continuing concern.
For the legal community, however, the reported incidents inside the court compound carry a particular significance. Courts are expected to provide a secure environment where judges can perform their duties independently and where lawyers, litigants and witnesses can participate in proceedings without fear.
The reported sequence of events — an alleged pistol threat in November, a request for security personnel in January, and a daylight shooting in May — has therefore placed the effectiveness of existing security arrangements under close examination.
The authorities’ response to the earlier complaint, the request for protection made by judges and the circumstances surrounding the later shooting are likely to remain central to discussions about security at the Cox’s Bazar court complex. Ensuring that judicial officers and everyone attending court can enter and leave the premises safely is essential to maintaining confidence in the administration of justice.
