Plea bids to implicate Zafrullah with contempt
Five individuals today filed a petition with the International Crimes Tribunal-2 to initiate contempt proceedings against Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury for his comments over the tribunal.
The tribunal fixed tomorrow for hearing the petition.
The complainants are freedom fighter Monoranjan Goshal, Ajgar Ali, Sheikh Nazrul Islam, and Gonojagoron Manch organiser Kamal Pasha Chowdury and FM Shahin.
Khan Mohammad Shameem Aziz, a lawyer for the complainants, said the tribunal had found Zafrullah Chowdhury guilty for contempt of court on June 10 and was awarded punishment in that instance.
After coming out from the court, Zafrullah made a statement before the media, Aziz said adding: “We found his comments tantamount to contempt of court. That’s why the petitioners filed the petition.”
Earlier on June 10, the tribunal found Zafrullah guilty of contempt of court and imprisoned him at the courtroom for an hour for criticising punishment of Bangladesh-based UK journalist David Bergman.
The tribunal also ordered him to pay Tk 5,000 in fine within seven days, in default of which he would have to serve one month in prison.
On June 21, ICT-2 recalled the arrest warrant it had issued against Zafrullah for non-payment of a fine imposed on him for contempt of court.
The tribunal recalled the warrant after Zafrullah, a freedom fighter, submitted before it a copy of the Supreme Court order staying the tribunal's verdict against him till July 5.
After coming out of the tribunal on the day, Zafrullah said the tribunal “wrongly” and “hastily” issued the arrest warrant although both the electronic and print media widely reported the SC stay order. Besides submitting the SC order, he requested the tribunal to withdraw the “wrongly” issued warrant, Zafrullah said.
On December 2 last year, the tribunal found Bergman, editor (special reports) of English daily the New Age, guilty of contempt for writing two blog posts in January 2013 on the verdict in the case against Abul Kalam Azad. The journalist was sentenced to imprisonment till rising of the court that day and fined Tk 5,000.
The tribunal recalled the warrant after Zafrullah, a freedom fighter, submitted before it a copy of the Supreme Court order staying the tribunal's verdict against him till July 5.
After coming out of the tribunal on the day, Zafrullah said the tribunal “wrongly” and “hastily” issued the arrest warrant although both the electronic and print media widely reported the SC stay order. Besides submitting the SC order, he requested the tribunal to withdraw the “wrongly” issued warrant, Zafrullah said.
On December 2 last year, the tribunal found Bergman, editor (special reports) of English daily the New Age, guilty of contempt for writing two blog posts in January 2013 on the verdict in the case against Abul Kalam Azad. The journalist was sentenced to imprisonment till rising of the court that day and fined Tk 5,000.
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