BSS, Dhaka :
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 yesterday initiated contempt proceedings against journalist and blogger David Bergman for his ‘criticism’ of the trial process.
Justice Obaidul Hassan, chairman of the three-member panel of ICT-2, passed the order asking the contemptner to reply by 15 days as to why he would not be held liable for committing contempt of court and punished for his contemptuous comments.
The second tribunal also set May 11 for passing further order in this regard.
Earlier on February 20, the second tribunal in its order asked Bergman to explain his ‘criticism’ of the trial process by appearing before it or through his counsel. The ICT-2 issued the order after hearing a petition of High Court lawyer Abul Kalam Azad.
Azad filed the petition on February 18, seeking the tribunal’s rule upon David as to why contempt proceeding would not be initiated against him for his comments related to war crimes trials and judgments on his own blog.
Bergman, a special reports editor at daily New Age, submitted his reply on March 18, through his counsel Barrister Mustafizur Rahman Khan saying that the criticism was a fair one and it was to assist the tribunal.
Yesterday in the order, Justice Obaidul Hassan said that the tribunal was not convinced with the explanation given by the contemptner and thus asked him to reply why he should not be punished for contempt of court.
