The government has relieved three assistant attorneys general of their duties amid the uproar, violence, lawsuits, and arrests surrounding the election to the Supreme Court Bar Association or SCBA.

Advocate Kazi Bashir Ahmed, Advocate Zakir Hossain Masud, and Advocate Shaama Akter got the sack on Monday, according to a notice from the Ministry of Law’s Solicitor Office.

The order takes effect immediately.

Asked about the reason for the removal, a deputy attorney general said, “We can’t talk about it. But you know already. We can’t say such things. It is a matter of state secrets.”

Bashir and Zakir were also named on the suspect list of cases over the uproar and violence surrounding the SCBA election.

The polls were held on Mar 6 and Mar 7. There were clashes between two sides in the election over whether the votes should be counted at night. A group of lawyers and other men attacked an assistant attorney general during the incident.

Assistant Attorney General Saifur Rahman Siddiqui Saif filed a case of attempted murder at the Shahbagh Police Station over the incident on Friday.

Independent candidate Nahid Sultana Juthi was named as the prime suspect and BNP panel candidate for secretary Ruhul Quddus Kazal was named as the secondary suspect.

Police have arrested Kazal and a court has remanded him for interrogation in police custody.

The case accuses a total of 20 named individuals and another unnamed 30 or 40 others.