Tribunal finds Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury guilty of contempt

The war crimes tribunal has found Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury guilty of contempt of court over his statement of concern for British citizen David Bergman after he was convicted.

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) ordered Chowdhury to stand in the dock for an hour.

He has also been fined Tk 5,000 and will spend a month in prison if he does not pay up.

The ICT-2 led by Justice Obaidul Hassan gave the verdict on the contempt case on Wednesday.

The tribunal cleared 22 others of the same charges, who had also issued similar statements over the court’s verdict.

The court said they had commited contempt for the first time, rights activist Hana Shams Ahmed told bdnews24.com.

The tribunal’s prosecutor Tureen Afroz told reporters that Wednesday’s verdict cleared 22 of the charges and convicted Chowdhury.

Bergman was convicted on Dec 2 last year for ‘creating confusion’ about a sub-judice matter through his ‘irresponsible’ writings in his blogs.

Reports on a statement ‘expressing concern’ over the conviction signed by 50 citizens were published on newspapers, including Daily Prothom Alo on Dec 20.

The ICT felt the news cast aspersion on Bangladesh’s judiciary and asked the Bangla-language daily to furnish the ‘full copy’ of the statement.

Prothom Alo on Dec 18 submitted the identity and address details of Hana Shams Ahmed, who had mailed the statement on behalf of the 50 citizens.

Twenty-six of them apologised unconditionally to the court and were acquitted from the contempt charges while rights activist Khushi Kabir had earlier disowned being part of the statement.

On Apr 1, the tribunal issued a contempt rule against the remaining 23. After hearing their explanations on May 14 the court kept it verdict pending.

Of them, 22 were cleared of the charges on Wednesday.

The court, however, convicted Zafrullah Chowdhury, as the tribunal had earlier let him go on another contempt charge and only issued a warning.

In September 2013, Chowdhury and Centre for Sustainable Development Secretary General Mahuz Ullah commented on a television talkshow over the trial of war criminal Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.

The comments were 'biased, baseless, complete lies, bogus and ill-intentioned and made in a bid to misinform about the Tribunal', according to the prosecutors' plea filed with the ICT then.

On Jun 12 last year, the ICT cleared them of the charges and issued a warning.

The 22, who were exonerated on Wednesday, are  Jahangirnagar University economics Professor Anu Mohammad, women rights activist Shirin Haq, anthropology researcher Rehnuma Ahmed, photographer Shahidul Alam, Dhaka University teacher CR Abrar, cultural activist Lubna Mariam, rights activist Muktasree Chakma Sathi, ‘Nari Grantha Prabartana’ Executive Director Farida Akter, journalist and writer Afsan Chowdhury, Australian National University researcher Beena D Costa, writers Shabnam Nadia and Mahmudur Rahman, filmmaker Nasrin Siraj Anee, ‘Alal O Dulal’ blog’s editor Tibro Ali, anthropologist Delwar Hossain, Masud Khan, lawyer Ziaur Rahman, Jarina Nahar kabir, Ali Ahmmed Ziauddin, singer Anusheh Anadil, rights activist Hana Shams Ahmed and cultural activist Lisa Gazi.

They have been warned by the tribunal over any statements they make in future, said Tureen Afroze.

On Feb 23, the tribunal acquitted 14 others after they issued unconditional apologies. They are lawyer Shahdeen Malik, SHUJAN-Citizens for Good Governance President M Hafiz Uddin Khan and Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar, former adviser to the caretaker government Rashida K Chowdhury, Dhaka University teachers Professor Imtiaz Ahmed and Amena Mohsin, Shishu Bikash Kendra’s Dr Naila Zaman Khan and Dr Shahnaz Huda, environmental activist Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Professor of Law at Dhaka University Asif Nazrul, rights activist Zakir Hossain, singer Arup Rahi, writer Shahin Akhter and rights activist Ilora Dewan.

On Mar 3, ten others were cleared of contempt charges after they apologised unconditionally. They are Illinois State University teacher Ali Riaz, Parvin Hasan, BRAC University teachers Firdaus Azim and Samia Haque, publisher Mahiuddin Ahmed, rights activist Justine Pereira, Ain O Shalish Kendra Director Nur Khan Liton, Seuti Sabur, Tasnim Sara Shahabuddin and writer Tahmina Anam.

Later, Dina M Siddiqui and rights activist Rezaur Rahman were also cleared by the court after they apologised.