HC issues contempt of court rule against Jugantor editor, publisher, writer

The High Court today issued a contempt of court rule against editor, publisher, and a writer of Bangla daily Jugantor for "authoring, publishing and disseminating contemptuous statements" in an article.

The article tilted — Fire Dekha Bichar Bivag Prithokikoron (Looking back judiciary separation) written by Mohammad Abdus Salam, a writer and researcher, was published in Jugantor on November 1.

In the rule, the HC asked Abdus Salam, and the Jugantor's editor Saiful Alam and its publisher Salma Islam to explain why they should not be prosecuted for being in contempt of the court by authoring, publishing and disseminating contemptuous statements in the article.

Abdus Salam, Saiful Alam and Salma Islam have been ordered to submit their written explanations before the court through sworn affidavits by November 10.

The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury issued the rule following a contempt of court petition filed by Muhammad Mazharul Islam, joint district and sessions judge in Kushtia, and secretary general of Bangladesh Judicial Service Association.

He said in the writ petition that the statements made by contemnor Abdus Salam in the article are contemptuous insofar as they undermine the authority and sanctity of the judgments of the High Court and Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court in Writ Petition No. 2424 of 1995 and Civil Appeal No. 79 of 1999, (judiciary separation case) respectively, and by questioning the courts' jurisdiction and judgments wantonly and in a broad-brushed manner without any analysis of or due attention to the judgments in their proper context.

"The contemnors have attempted to malign the image of the Hon'ble Supreme Court and have shown a blatant disregard for the judicial process and the constitutional role of the judiciary, thereby warranting contempt proceedings," the petition stated.

Petitioner's lawyer Tanim Hussain Shawon told the court that most of the contents of the article have presented the SC judgement in Masdar Hossain case (judiciary separation case) in distorted, indecent and offensive manner and tried to set the judiciary and executive in confrontational position.

Deputy Attorney Generals Md Tanim Khan and Syeda Sajia Sharmin and Assistant Attorney General Muzahidul Islam Shahin represented the state during the hearing of the petition.