Biman officials apologise for misbehaving with HC judge

The High Court yesterday exonerated four Biman officials of the contempt of court charge as they unconditionally apologised to the court for misbehaving with one of its judges at Shahjalal International Airport in the capital on October 28 last year.
The officials -- Flight Captain Enamul Haque, Captain Abed, Director of Flight Operation Captain Shafique and air hostess Shabnam Qadir -- appeared before the court and offered apology in connection with a contempt of court petition.
The court, however, warned Enamul and Abed not to repeat ever any act that may amount to contempt of court.
An HC bench ordered the officials concerned not to upgrade Biman tickets of persons who are beyond the warrant of precedents.
It also directed Bangladesh Bank and the Anti-Corruption Commission to find out whether Shafique maintains any foreign bank account.
The directive came as the petitioner recently submitted an application to the court stating that Shafique allegedly uses a US bank account, which is an offence as per the relevant laws.
Enamul, Abed and Shafique were kept standing in the dock in front of the HC bench on charge of disrespecting the court.
The court allowed Shabnam to be seated in the courtroom, saying that she only discharged her duties in the aircraft concerned on October 28 last year and did not commit any contempt of court.
On different days in December last year, the HC bench issued separate contempt of court rules on the national airline's Managing Director Mohammad Zakiul Islam, Enamul, Abed, Shafique and Shabnam following the contempt of court petition filed by Riaz Uddin Khan, a lawyer of the Supreme Court.
All the five were ordered to explain by January 8 (yesterday) why contempt proceedings should not be started against them and why they should not be punished.
On December 11 last year, the HC exonerated Zakiul Islam from the charge.
Some senior lawyers including the petitioner's counsel Rokanudin Mahmud and respondents' counsels Anisul Huq, Kazi Aktar Hamid, Masood R Sobhan and Shah M Naser requested the court to pardon their clients.
Meanwhile, the Biman authorities recently published advertisements in some national dailies, regretting the October 28 incident.