Ministers Qamrul, Mozammel in Cabinet meeting after Supreme Court verdict

Ministers Qamrul Islam and AKM Mozammel Huq have attended a Cabinet meeting days after the Supreme Court said they had violated their oath of office to uphold the Constitution.

The weekly meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, started around 10am at the Secretariat on Monday.
 
TV footage showed both Food Minister Qamrul and Liberation War Affairs Minister Mozammel attended the meeting amidst much debate over whether they should continue as ministers after the court verdict.
 
Mozammel was seen seated between Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam and Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu; and Qamrul was seated between Land Minister Shamsur Rahman Sherif and State Minister for Labour Mujibul Haq Chunnu at the meeting.
 
The Cabinet Division fixes the seating arrangement of the ministers at the regular meeting based on seniority.
 
On Mar 27, an eight-member appeals bench led by the chief justice had found them guilty of contempt over their remarks on the appeal hearing of war criminal Mir Quasem Ali, executed on Saturday.
 
The ministers had offered unreserved apologies but the top court convicted them.
 

Qamrul Islam and AKM Mozammel Huq

The Appellate Division last Thursday published the full verdict, where it said, “The respondents thus neglected their sworn duty to protect the rule of law enshrined in the Constitution.

"They have acted in violation of law and are in breach of their oath of office to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.”

The BNP had demanded resignation of the two ministers after the verdict was delivered in March.

Slapping a fine of Tk 50, 000 on each, Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha had said that punishing the two Cabinet members for contempt was a warning for all who would consider undermining the judiciary’s dignity.

After the verdict was published, Supreme Court lawyer Shahdeen Malik said Qamrul and Mozammel had 'no right' to continue as ministers after the top court's verdict.

Another Supreme Court lawyer, Yunous Ali Akhand, has also filed a petition at High Court and served the ministers with legal notices over continuing to hold ministerial positions.

The government, however, is yet to make any statement on the issue.