The bench of Justices Naima Haider and Zafar Ahmed set the date after conclusion of hearing on two rulings on Tuesday.
Editor of the Bengali daily Matiur Rahman had come to the court following summons issued on Monday. Joint Editor Mizanur Rahman Khan was also present in the court.
Defence counsel Shahdeen Malik told bdnews24.com that verdict on the suo moto rule will be delivered on Thursday.
This rule is against both Rahman and Khan.
The verdict on a contempt petition filed on Mar 2 by lawyer Md Abu Taleb against Khan will also be delivered the same day.
Lawyer Ahsanul Karim represented the petitioner in court.
The bench had on Mar 2 summoned Khan following two articles published in the newspaper.
It also issued two contempt rules against Khan and one against the editor. They were also asked to submit their explanations as affidavits.
The hearing took place on Mar 6, 9 and 10. Khan was present during the hearings.
Editor Matiur Rahman appeared before the court on Tuesday as it (the court) wanted to hear his explanation.
Rahman and Khan gave their explanations during the hearing.
On Mar 6, the first day of the hearing, Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud made remarks on mass media and journalism.
On Saturday, Dhaka Reporters Unity, Dhaka University Journalists’ Association, Jagannath University Journalists’ Association and Barisal Division Journalists’ Association issued separate statements demanding withdrawal of Mahmud’s remarks.
The High Court on Sunday issued a contempt rule against vernacular dailies ‘Dainik Samakal’ and ‘Naya Diganta’ for running reports based on the statements by these organisations .
It also asked why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against the editors, publishers and printers of the dailies.
Dhaka Reporters Unity’s president and general secretary and Barisal Division Journalist Association’s president and general secretary had been ordered to appear before the court on Wednesday to explain their statements on demanding the withdrawal of Mahmud's remarks.
While drawing attention to the issue after Tuesday’s hearing, the senior justice of the bench said, “Those who have been summoned will have to appear before the court. This is an order. They can leave after making their appearance. But they must come.”
Amanullah Kabir accused of contempt
Meanwhile, a Supreme Court lawyer on Tuesday accused senior journalist Amanullah Kabir of contempt of court over his remarks at a television talk show.
Former High Court judge Munsurul Haque levelled the allegation amid the hearing over a contempt rule against Prothom Alo Joint Editor Mizanur Rahman Khan.
Haque said Kabir, a senior editor with bdnews24.com, made derogatory remarks against lawyers at a talk-show on private TV channel Banglavision on Monday.
He alleged Kabir's comments amounted to contempt.
The bench of Justices Naima Haider and Zafar Ahmed, which was busy hearing the contempt rule against Mizanur Rahman Khan, said that they would look into Haque's allegations later.
Meanwhile, 16 newspaper editors have published a joint statement on Tuesday, seeking the chief justice’s intervention to ‘normalise the situation’.
“We have observed that some senior lawyers spoke against journalists and the media during the hearing. (They) have tried to defame the whole media industry by one-sided allegations over journalists’ integrity,” the statement read.
“We call upon (lawyers) to refrain from making such provocative and confusing statements. Moreover, we see an attempt has been going on to push the press and the judiciary into a confrontational state, which damaging for the press freedom and the dignity of the judiciary. We seek the immediate intervention of the honourable chief justice in normalising the situation that has arisen,” the statement said.
