'Contemptuous' Report
ICT summons Sangram editor, 12 Feni lawyers
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 issued a show-cause notice on the editor and a reporter of the daily Sangram to explain why contempt of court charges should not be brought against them for publishing a news report yesterday.
The Bangla daily ran the news report with a title which roughly translates as "Feni lawyers have condemned and protested the receiving of statements given by police".
The three-member tribunal led by its Chairman Justice Md Nizamul Huq directed Sangram editor and publisher Abul Asad and the newspaper's Feni correspondent to appear before the court on April 16 in person and give their written explanation.
It also directed a group of lawyers of Feni Bar Association to come to the court on the same day and explain why contempt of court charges should not be brought against them for giving a "contemptuous statement".
The 12 lawyers, in a signed statement, protested against the tribunal's decision to receive statements of 15 witnesses given to the investigation officer as evidence in a case against Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee, who has been in detention for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity in 1971 War of Liberation.
Reading out the report, the tribunal observed that certain parts of the statement published in the news report were “contemptuous”.
The report, which cited a statement of the Feni lawyers, said the court's decision was illegal, which showed that it was a “partisan tribunal”.
“We are of the view that the reported statement violates section 11(4) of International Crimes (Tribunal) Act 1973, as it contains contemptuous statements”, the order reads.
Justice Nizamul Huq pointed out that the tribunal always welcomed constructive criticisms, discussion on its orders and even finding its “wrongs”. But there may not be any such message to the public which involves the tribunal itself, he said.
The 12 Feni lawyers are Shafiul Alam, Nurul Islam Bachchu, Ashraful Huq Bhuiyan, Mainuddin, Motasam Billah, Golam Sarwar, Belayet Hossain, Kamal Uddin, Aminul Haque Bhutto, Emdadul Huq, Abdul Qaiyum and Md Hasan.
The tribunal also expressed surprise that the statement came from lawyers and members of a Bar Association.
As per the ICT Act, “The tribunal may punish any person, who obstructs or abuses its process or disobeys any of its orders or directions, or does anything which tends to prejudice the case of a party before it, or tends to bring it or any of its members into hatred or contempt, or does anything which constitutes contempt of the tribunal, with simple imprisonment which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to taka five thousand, or with both”.
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