14 citizens unconditionally apologise to Bangladesh war crimes tribunal

Fourteen of the 50 citizens who had issued a statement expressing concern over the conviction of British journalist David Bergman for contempt, have tendered unconditional apology at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).

They were asked to appear before the war crimes tribunal or to explain their stand through lawyers before Jan 27.

Accordingly, 14 persons, including Supreme Court lawyer Shahdeen Malik, tendered apology on Tuesday.

Ten people, including health activist Zafrullah Chowdhury, have, however, submitted a statement in the tribunal stating that they would argue their case themselves.

The other 25 sought time through their lawyer Anisul Hasan to explain their position.

The court, however, accepted the time extension plea of 14 people who are now staying in Bangladesh. But the plea of 11 others, who are residing abroad, was rejected because they made it through e-mails. They have been asked to make fresh plea following proper procedure.

ICT-2 headed by Justice Obaidul Hasan fixed Feb 8 for the next order.

Those who filed pleas for unconditional forgiveness are Lawyer Shahdeen Malik, M Hafiz Uddin, General Secretary of citizens' platform 'Sujon' Badiul Alam Majumder, former caretaker government advisor Rasheda K Chowdhury, Dhaka University teachers Imtiaz Ahmed, Amena Mohsin and Asif Nazrul, National Coordinator of 'Bangladesh Shishu Bikash Kendra' Nayla Jaman Khan, Shahnaz Huda, environmental lawyer Rizwana Hasan, human rights activist Zakir Hossain, singer Arup Rahi, writer Shahin Akhter and rights activist Ilora Dewan.

ICT-2 convicted Bergman on Dec 2, 2014 for trying to ‘challenge' the tribunal through the ‘irresponsible’ views he expressed about sub-judice matters in his blog.

The judges ordered the British citizen to remain standing in the court for the whole day and fined him Tk 5,000.

The judges had told Bergman to refrain from writing on 'historically settled issue'.

On Dec 20, Bengali daily 'Prothom Alo' published a report on the apprehensions expressed by the 50 citizens. The New York Times, too, carried an editorial along the same lines on Dec 23.

The tribunal, which felt the reports cast aspersions on the judicial system of Bangladesh, had summoned the ‘full versions’ of the statement from the daily.

The daily, then, gave the tribunal a detailed resumé and the address of Hana Shams Ahmed, who had emailed the statement on behalf of the 50 citizens on Dec 18.

Supreme Court lawyer Shahdeen Malik submitted to the tribunal the names and addresses of 49 of the 50 citizens on Jan 14.

On Tuesday lawyer M Shamsul Haque pleaded for unconditional forgiveness on behalf of Malik and M Hafiz Uddin.

Human-rights activist and women’s leader Khushi Kabir had, in the mean time, dissociated herself from those ‘concerned citizens’, saying she did not subscribe to the views expressed in the statement.