A Bangladesh court has issued a contempt ruling against 23 out of 50 people, who expressed concerns over British citizen David Bergman’s conviction.
Published : 01 Apr 2015, 09:07 PM
They will have to respond within Apr 23 to the International Crimes Tribunal-2.
Justice Obaidul Hassan-led second tribunal issued the ruling Wednesday, asking why they should not be punished.
Bergman was convicted on Dec 2 for ‘creating confusion’ about a sub-judice matter through his ‘irresponsible’ writings in his blogs.
Daily Prothom Alo published a report about ‘concern expressed by 50 citizens’ on Dec 20. The New York Times, too, ran an editorial on December 23along similar lines.
The ICT felt the news cast an 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.
Until Wednesday, the tribunal accepted unqualified apologies of 26 of the signatories.
Rights activist Khushi Kabir had disowned her association with the statement soon after its publication.
But Gonoshasthaya Kendra trustee Zafrullah Chowdhury, 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 and ‘Nari Grantha Prabartana’ Executive Director Farida Akter will have to respond to Wednesday’s ruling.
Apart from them, 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, too, will have to respond to the ruling.