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Published : 08 Dec 2025, 03:51 PM
The International Crimes Tribunal has called on senior Supreme Court lawyer and BNP Chairperson’s Advisor Fazlur Rahman to use his influence responsibly and help “guide the judiciary”.
“People listen to you. You should show them the way. You should guide the judiciary,” Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, chairman of the International Crimes Tribunal-1 said after Fazlur appeared before the court on Monday to apologise for his remarks regarding the tribunal, which had led to contempt of court allegations against him.
After giving him a warning for the future, the tribunal disposed of the show cause notice over the contempt of court allegation.
The two other judges of the tribunal bench are Justice Shafiul Alam Mahmud and retired District and Sessions Judge Md Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury.
At the beginning of the hearing, when the court asked to hear Fazlur’s reason for his remarks, pro-BNP Supreme Court senior lawyer Ruhul Quddus Kazal presented Fazlur’s unconditional apology petition to the tribunal.
Kazal said, Fazlur is a senior lawyer of the Supreme Court and a freedom fighter. He did not speak of any desire to hold the tribunal in contempt and apologised unreservedly for his careless comments, expressing “genuine remorse”.
Then the chairman of the tribunal said, "I know him, he is a renowned lawyer, freedom fighter, politician. If a person like him speaks like that, it will send a wrong message to the people. This statement has already reached billions of people across the world through the media.
“It's one thing for the common people to say such things, but you are leaders. If you say such things about the judiciary, how will the country run? People listen to you. You should show them the way. You should guide the judiciary.”
Then Kazal directed Fazlur to the dias. He said, “I am 78 years old. I don't want to talk to the media. Allah above, you here - I respect you fully. I apologise unconditionally.”
The tribunal then pardoned him and wished him long life.
At one point the chairman of the tribunal said, "Some freedom fighters stayed at our house too. I was studying in eighth grade. We allowed the freedom fighters to stay in the house, gave them food. I showed them the way - which direction to go and which bridge to blow up. I showed them. No one will make bad comments about freedom fighters.”
Mozumder said that all crimes against humanity will be tried at this tribunal, whether before or after 1973. There is no such thing as only war criminals will be tried in this law.
“There is nothing that states only war crimes should be tried here – any crime against humanity can be tried.”
On behalf of Fazlur, 15-20 lawyers including senior advocate Zainul Abedin, Kazal, Kayser Kamal, Kamrul Islam Sazal attended the hearing.
Gazi MH Tamim presented the contempt of court charges on behalf of the prosecution.
On Nov 30, the tribunal ordered Fazlur to appear in person before the court with his academic certificate and bar council certificate and explain the contempt of court charges. Accordingly, Fazlur appeared in the tribunal on Monday and apologised unconditionally.
The prosecution had filed a contempt of court charge against Fazlur on Nov 26.
On Nov 23, Fazlur spoke about the verdict against Sheikh Hasina in a crimes against humanity case on a talk show on a private television channel. Some parts of his statement, brought to the tribunal on a pen drive, were then played for the court.
Prosecutor Md Mizanul Islam had previously told the tribunal that Fazlur had questioned the legitimacy of the ICT during a talk show on a private television channel, claiming he did not accept its verdicts and alleging that the prosecution was acting “in collusion with a third party”.
The prosecutor contended that such comments amounted to contempt of court.
He noted that if found guilty, Fazlur could face up to a year in prison, a fine of Tk 5,000, or both.
BNP Chairperson's Advisory Council member Fazlur Rahman left Awami League to join BNP around 2007 and served as Kishoreganj district BNP president for about eight years.
Fazlur, an advocate of the Supreme Court, was suspended from all party positions for three months on Aug 26 over what the BNP called “controversial” remarks about the July Uprising.
However, in the list of nominations announced by the BNP on Nov 3, Fazlur was named the party’s candidate for the Kishoreganj-4 (Itna, Mithamoin and Ashtagram) parliamentary seat.
He has run twice for the seat, competing as a rival of former president Md Abdul Hamid.
