Speaking at a discussion at the National Press Club on Wednesday, the freedom fighter highlighted the role of Chowdhury in Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.
“Does a freedom fighter not have the right to criticise a trial which is aimed at the welfare of the freedom fighters and upholding the spirit of the Liberation War? I leave this question before all,” Ahmed said.
“We did not join the war to see the day when they (freedom fighters) will be punished in the liberated country and anti-liberation forces will be awarded,” he said.
Ahmed, a gallantry award wining Freedom Fighter, was a member of the BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s cabinet where two Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, who have been convicted of war crimes by the tribunal, secured berth.
The ICT-2 led by Justice Obaidul Hassan on Wednesday ordered Chowdhury to stand in the dock for an hour. He has also been fined Tk 5,000, failure to pay which will land him in jail for one month.
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.
On Apr 1, the tribunal issued a contempt rule against the remaining 23. After hearing their explanations on May 14, the court kept the verdict pending.
Of them, 22 were cleared of the charges on Wednesday.
The court convicted Chowdhury, as it had earlier let go of him on another contempt charge by issuing a warning.