I’m honest,’ Justice Jahangir Hossain

ICT-1 fixes sets Thursday for an order on a plea seeking that the Amar Desh authorities be called to court and asked to explain the Skype exposé.

bdnews24.com
Published : 11 Dec 2012, 07:47 AM
Updated : 11 Dec 2012, 09:38 AM

Dhaka, Dec 11 (bdnews24.com)—The first war crimes tribunal on Tuesday witnessed the first response to the Skype conversation between its Chairman Justice Mohammad Nizamul Huq and his Brussels-based researcher published in the Daily Amar Desh.

Tribunal member Justice Jahangir Hossain who had featured in one of the conversations soon after his appointment to the International Crimes Tribunal – 1, said, “I have been honest all my life. I remain honest. And I will remain honest.”

The tribunal had fixed on Monday that it would give an order in response to a plea seeking that the newspaper authorities be called to court and asked to explain the exposé.

The BNP-leaning daily has been publishing a series of transcripts of video conversation over the internet for several days that the tribunal Chairman had with Ahmed Ziauddin, an expert in international law and an old acquaintance of the tribunal chief, who was assisting him as a researcher.

The conversation between Justice Huq and Ziauddin, as published in Amar Desh, compromised Justice Jahangir Hossain where the Chairman referred to his member as being ‘corrupt’ and also mentioned the unflattering nick name he is said to be known as.

The first tribunal did not sit during the first half of the day and proceedings began after the lunch recess with two tribunal members. Justice Hossain presided over saying that the Chairman had been taken ill and thus could not come.

This was one of the rare instances that Justice Huq remained absent during proceedings at the tribunal, giving further impetus to the rumours that his resignation was in the offing. Justice Huq confirmed bdnews24.com later in the evening that he had indeed tendered his resignation.

Prosecutor Syed Haider Ali had pleaded with the tribunal to summon Amar Desh authorities and seek their explanation for publishing the private conversation between the tribunal chief and his researcher who is also an international law expert.

Seeing that the prosecutor was absent, Justice Hossain enquired after him. The other prosecutors said that Haider Ali was also ill. “He was the one who had brought the newspaper to our notice. We had a few more queries, it would have been good if he were here,” said the judge.

He then broached the subject and addressed the content of Justice Huq’s conversation that everyone had avoided thus far.

“I have a few words to say about this thing. But it is very difficult to speak about it,” said the senior judge of the day.

Justice Hossain said he had also been mentioned in the conversation. “It appears that people don’t really have much idea about the kind of person I am.”

He said that even Islam dictated that one should not speak of others without full knowledge of that person and added, “But those apparently knowledgeable people often speak ill of others and that seems to be quite in vogue nowadays.”

He said, “My path has been full of struggles. It was not an easy one. And I know it will remain difficult in future as well.”

Justice Hossain mentioned that when in the High Court, he once had the opportunity to adjudicate a corruption case against Mahmudur Rahman, the Amar Desh Editor, a former energy advisor for the 2001-06 BNP government.

“I had given the stay order in his favour.” The judge said it was a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission and pointed out he only upheld his oath and did not waver from there.

“Mr Mahmudur Rahman might have dispensed with putting my name in such a large headline in the story. That is all I will say about it.”

Justice Hossain then went on to say that there were people who spoke ill of others and, “Their 100 percent lies sometimes perplex me but they never frustrate me.”

He ended his solemn address to the court, with the defence side completely empty, saying, “My name is Jahangir Hossain. It is so in the certificate. When I was appointed to the High Court it was Justice Jahangir Hossain,” and added after a pause, “and only Jahangir Hossain.”

The judge said that the court would issue an order on Thursday. “The Chairman is not here. And we believe that it should be the Chairman who delivers it.”

He said that since the Chairman was ill, he did not know what might happen the next day and fixed the date of order on Thursday.

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