HC issues contempt rule against 11 govt officials

The High Court (HC) issued a contempt of court rule against 11 government officials including the Liberation War Affairs secretary and director general of Jatiya Muktijoddha Council for omitting names of 135 members of special guerrilla force from the list of freedom fighters.

The HC bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das asked the respondents to explain why they should not be punished for committing contempt of court for omitting the names of “NAP-Communist Party-Chhatra Union special guerrilla force” from the list.

The HC bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das issued the rule on Monday following a contempt of court petition filed by the 135 members.

The HC on September 8, 2016 directed the government to recognise 2,367 members of a special guerrilla force, who participated in the 1971 Liberation War, as freedom fighters, the plaintiffs said.

This also includes the 135 members of “NAP-Communist Party-Chhatra Union special guerrilla force”, whose names have been omitted from the list, resulting into a violation of the HC directive, they added.

Advocate Md Zahedul Bari appeared for the petitioners.