ICT admonishes SCBA President Kh Mahbub

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UNB, Dhaka :
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Sunday admonished president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Khandker Mahbub Hossain for his remarks on the current war crimes trial.
The three-member tribunal, headed by Justice M Enayetur Rahim, reminded the bar leader with a ‘note of desire’ while disposing of the contempt-of-court petition filed against him by the prosecution.
“In order to prevent the judiciary and the lawyer community from coming each other at loggerheads and also to maintain and
preserve harmonious cooperation in between these two institutions, we’re of the view that for ends of justice…the contempt petition is disposed of with a note of desire that Khandker Mahbub Hossain shall be more careful and respectful in making a statement or comment with regard to the Judiciary or the Judges or the Courts of Bangladesh in future,” observed the tribunal.
Khandker Mahbub is not an ordinary man, the tribunal said, adding that he is a senior advocate of the Bangladesh Supreme Court and sitting Vice-Chairman of Bangladesh Bar Council as well as the president of SCBA, and as such more responsibility lies with him than any other professionals to uphold the dignity and prestige of the judiciary and the rule of law for the sake of society and also for his own sake.
“Having been in such a position, he should not make any comment/statement that may tantamount to contempt of court, either directly or indirectly,” the tribunal further said.
The tribunal, however, said: “On perusal of the subsequent statement made by him in a press conference, we believe that he did not mean in the alleged statement that a Judge of the court/tribunal is connected with any case he tries.”
“The alleged statement is no doubt critical in general …the statement in question may be interpreted in many ways…on a plain reading it appears to us to be contemptuous,” contended the tribunal.
Referring to the current trial of the war crimes, the tribunal said the perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity are being tried in the court of law long after 42 years and it was the aspiration of the nation as a whole.
The tribunal said whether a case of this nature is false or concocted, it could be only ascertained by tribunal after taking evidence and hearing both the parties and by the Appellate authority if any appeal is filed against the verdict of a tribunal.
“So, about the subjudice matter no one should make any comment which may cause prejudice to a party,” observed the tribunal.
The contempt-of-court petition was originated from a statement over the war crimes trial made by Khandker Mahbub Hossain, also adviser to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, as claimed by the prosecution highly scandalous.
On October 1, 2013, soon after the pronouncement of the ICT-1 judgment sentencing BNP stalwart Salauddin Quader Chowdhury to death for crimes against humanity during 1971 Liberation War, Khandker Mahbub at a media briefing threatened to try all involved in the war crimes trial if BNP is voted to power, terming the trial ‘farcical’.
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