Contempt case hearing against 2 SC lawyers over Facebook posts deferred to 26 Oct

The hearing of a contempt case against two Supreme Court lawyers over their Facebook posts on the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has been deferred to 26 October.

The comments were made after the tribunal sentenced seven people, including Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, to death in a crimes against humanity case over offences committed during the July Uprising.

A two-member bench of the ICT-2, led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, fixed the new date today (23 September).

Senior advocate Munsurul Hoque Chowdhury, representing the accused lawyers, sought time for the hearing.

He also requested that the matter be heard by the full bench of the tribunal.

Prosecutor Mizanul Islam said the two lawyers appeared before the tribunal as scheduled to explain their comments in the contempt case.

However, tribunal member Justice Md Manjurul Bashid is currently hospitalised due to illness, prompting the tribunal to fix a new date for the hearing, he told journalists.

Supreme Court lawyers Hasanuzzaman Tushar and Barrister Mohammad Hasan Chowdhury appeared before the tribunal in the morning to explain their comments referring to the tribunal as a "kangaroo court".

The prosecution brought contempt of court allegations against them on 16 September. Tribunal-2 subsequently summoned the two lawyers to appear in person and explain their statements, fixing 23 September for the hearing.

According to the prosecution, Tribunal-2 sentenced seven accused, including Obaidul Quader, to death in a case over crimes against humanity committed during the July Uprising.

Following the verdict, lawyers Tushar and Hasan made separate Facebook posts about the judgment. The posts came to the attention of the tribunal, following which contempt of court allegations were brought against the two lawyers.

Prosecutors Mizanul Islam, Faruk Ahmed, Zahirul Amin, Abdus Sattar Palowan and Moinul Karim, among others, appeared for the prosecution.