Dhaka Bureau: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has fixed February 12 as the date for hearing the contempt of court charges filed against seven pro-BNP lawyer leaders, including former Attorney General AJ Muhammad Ali, to explain the ultimatum for the resignation of two judges of the Appellate Division.
The appellate bench, led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hasan, gave this order on Monday.
The pro-BNP lawyers accused of contempt of court are: Secretary General of Nationalist Lawyers Forum and Legal Affairs Secretary of BNP Barrister Kaiser Kamal; President of Nationalist Lawyers Forum Former Attorney General AJ Muhammad Ali; BNP Executive Committee member Advocate Fahima Nasreen Munni; President of Nationalist Lawyers Forum Supreme Court Branch Advocate Abdul Jabbar Bhuiyan; former editor of the Supreme Court Bar Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajal; former co-editor of the Supreme Court Bar Advocate Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Khan; and general secretary of the Supreme Court Branch of the Nationalist Lawyers Forum Advocate Gazi Md. Kamrul Islam Sajal.
Earlier, the Appellate Division asked seven pro-BNP lawyers to explain the contempt of court for holding press conferences and rallies demanding the resignation of two judges of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. A four-member Appellate Division bench headed by the Chief Justice passed the order on November 15 last year. At the same time, the Appellate Division was ordered to comply with the verdict regarding the procession and assembly on the court premises.
On August 30, last year, a four-member Appellate Division bench headed by retired Chief Justice Hasan Faiz Siddiqui heard the matter. The Supreme Court also sought an explanation in this regard.
The Nationalist Lawyers Forum held several press conferences against the two judges of the Appellate Division for speaking at the Mourning Day discussion meeting on August 15 last year, referring to the sworn politicians as per the constitution. Besides, a program was announced to prevent those two judges from judging. The pro-BNP lawyers held a rally in the Supreme Court.
The press conference was held on August 27 at the Supreme Court Bar Association building. On August 29, the Supreme Court lawyer quoted a few lines of the speech. Nazmul Huda made the application. Banners, leaflets with judges, and pictures of pro-BNP lawyers’ processions and positions were added to it.
Two days later, on August 29, Jubo League president Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash’s wife and lawyer, Advocate Nahid Sultana Yuthi, filed a contempt of court petition in the Supreme Court. On this day, lawyer Nahid Sultana Juthi presented the matter of this application to the Appellate Division bench led by the Chief Justice.
The Chief Justice then said that since there is a need to reconstitute the bench, the petition will not be heard on August 29. He asked to submit the application to his secretary. Advocate Nahid Sultana Juthi filed this application on behalf of lawyer Nazmul Huda.
It is said in the petition that the pro-BNP lawyers have been charged with contempt of court for holding a press conference and rallying against the judge. Barrister Kaiser Kamal, the legal affairs secretary of BNP, and seven people were charged against them.
