The High Court on Wednesday fined Supreme Court lawyer Md Eunus Ali Akond Tk 10,000 for not appearing before the court during hearing in a writ petition he filed challenging the legality of the government-imposed restrictions on activities and businesses to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Eunus in the petition which was filed on April 25 also prayed for a court order to stay the ongoing restrictions and direct the government to open all offices and businesses.

The online bench of judges M Enayetur Rahman and Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir on Wednesday in its ruling said that the petition was dismissed for the default with the cost of Tk 10,000’.

The bench was annoyed with Eunus at his conduct stating that his writ petition was listed for hearing as an urgent matter but he did not appear before the court for three consecutive dates fixed for hearings since May 2.

‘But he has circulated to the media saying he filed a writ petition challenging the legality of the announcement of the lockdown on April 5, and his petition is now pending for hearing,’ the court said.

The court said that when it took up the writ petition on May 2, Eunus appeared online but disappeared later.

The court on several occasions warned Eunus saying that his writ petition would be dismissed with cost for wasting the court’s time if he files writ petitions only to promote himself.