Supreme Court lawyer ZI Khan Panna has been replaced by lawyer Amir Hossain as state defence counsel for deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina in two enforced disappearance cases.

Amir Hossain defended Hasina in the 2024 uprising case in which she was sentenced to death for her superior command responsibility led to the atrocities during the mass uprising that deposed her as prime minister and he subsequently fled to India for shelter.

The three-member tribunal, headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, made the appointment after Panna withdrew himself, citing physical illness.

Panna also told the tribunal that he was under pressure from both Awami League supporters and the International Crimes Tribunal’s prosecution team.

Earlier, the tribunal had summoned Panna for repeatedly failing to appear before it despite being appointed as Hasina’s state defence counsel on November 23. Hasina remains a fugitive in India.

The tribunal rebuked Panna for sending a letter to its registrar expressing unwillingness to represent Hasina. The judges said that as a senior lawyer, he should have appeared before the tribunal and informed it directly instead of withdrawing through a letter.

Panna offered an unconditional apology.

The tribunal also criticised Panna for writing on Facebook that he could not defend Hasina because she had no confidence in the tribunal. The judges warned him that a lawyer must speak responsibly and follow the law and the constitution, not behave like a political speaker.

When Panna asked which constitution he should follow, the tribunal responded that Bangladesh has only one constitution.

Chief prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam also reacted sharply, telling Panna to ‘mind your language,’ before the tribunal calmed him down.

Tajul said that although Bangladesh has one constitution, amendments over the years prompted his remark.

Panna replied that he followed the original 1972 constitution.

The tribunal said it operates under the existing constitution and the laws currently in force.