The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday fined publisher as well as editor of the Bangla daily Janakantha Atikullah Khan Masud and its executive editor Shawdesh Roy Tk10,000 each for contempt of court.
A six-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order on Thursday.
The SC also ordered them not to leave the courtroom and keep standing there until the day’s court proceeding ends.The court said they will have to suffer seven days’ jail if they fail to pay the fine and they have to give the fine money to any charitable organisation.
Earlier on August 10, the same bench fixed today (Thursday) for the verdict after hearing their reply to the contempt of court rule.
On August 9, the bench was formed to hear the contempt rule against the Janakantha’s editor and executive editor.
On August 3, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court ordered them to appear before it on August 9 and explain why punitive actions will not be taken against them for contempt of court charges.
On Jul 29, after the apex court gave the final war crimes verdict in Salauddin Quader Chowdhury’s case upholding his death penalty, the Supreme Court issued a contempt rule over an article published in the daily Janakantha.
In his article Roy wrote, “Salauddin Quader Chowhudry is a heinous killer from 1971. He is among those traitors who bathed most in the blood of innocent Bengalis. His appeal verdict is on Jul 29. Father Mujib! Here, too, your daughter is being made to stand with her back to a crucifix.
“If that is not true, then how did Salauddin Quader Chowdhury’s family have a meeting with those who were judging his case? How did they manage to get to the judges? Was it ISI or ULFA? Do judges ever meet the families of the victims? Is it part of their ethics?
“Why is Sheikh Hasina’s government busy trying to stop some judges from going on foreign visits now?” read the article.
The court issued the rule as an article, published in the Bangla daily on 16 July, tarnished the image of the court and questioned magistracy of the judiciary, said Attorney General Mahbubey Alam.- UNB
