The High Court has dropped off the contempt of court proceedings against two Bangla dailies ‘Dainik Samakal’ and ‘Naya Diganta’ and president-general secretaries of four journalist organisations.
The bench of Justices Naima Haider and Justice Zafar Ahmed passed the order on Wednesday afternoon.
The journalists are Dhaka Reporters Unity president Shahed Chowdhury, general secretary Elias Khan; Barisal Division Journalists’ Association president Abdur Rahman and general secretary Elias Khan; Dhaka University Journalists’ Association president MM Jasim and general secretary Saddam Hossain; Jagannath University Journalists’ Association president Kazi Mobarak Hossain and secretary M Suzaul Islam.
Of them, the same person holds the posts of president and Dhaka Reporters Unity and general secretary of Barisal Division Journalists’ Association.
On March 2, the same bench on its own motion summoned Mizanur Rahman Khan, the Prothom Alo joint editor, for writing a column which questioned the anticipatory bails granted by the bench. The court also issued a contempt of court rule against its editor Matiur Rahman and Mizanur.
At the outset of the second day hearing on the contempt rule, lawyer Rokanuddin drew the attention of the court to the statements of DRU, Dhaka University Journalists’ Association, Jagannath University Journalists’ Association and Barisal Division Journalists’ Association against the lawyer.
Rokan on Thursday said: “There is no organisation to regulate the journalists. As a result, they write whatever they wish. They think that they are above the law. They discredit others after being bribed. They think that they are very powerful.”
The court also issued a contempt of court rule against editors, publishers and printers of the two Bangla newspapers – the Samakal and the Naya Diganta – for publishing statements of several organisations which demanded apology from Rokanuddin Mahmud for his comments during Thursday’s hearing.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
8 Bangladeshi journalists got exemption from the obsolete, colonial introduced criminal charges of so called “CONTEMPT OF COURT”
This was a judicious and right decision. This law can no longer be abused to silence the critical media by the rulers using judiciary as the political tool. People will never accept it. Judiciary as well as the media MUST be free of any government control/injunction and be allowed to work independently. Ministers, including the prime minister showing “CONTEMPT OF COURT” almost every day repeating time and time again that ALL THE WAR CRIMINALS WOULD BE HANGED AND NONE WOULD BE ABLE TO SAVE THEM” whereas the cases against the so called war criminals are not completed yet and most of the verdicts are still being awaited. This is sub-judice. Still no action was taken against the offenders! Why they are not being charged and summoned to COURT to attend “PERSONALLY”? What the Indian immigrant to our independent, Muslim state we created in 1947 lawyer, Islamic education-deprived Mr Rafiqul Hoq has to say who went in arm against the journalists and pretends to be the jack of all trades poking his nose in every matter outside his jurisdiction, like Sengupta, Hasinsa’s SPECIAL ADVISER ON CONSTITUTIONAL MATTER?
Good sense has prevailed at long last. Like judiciary media is also a vital organ of an independent democratic state. This fact has been realised but if it has been also been accepted by the political appointee judges or not is not clear as yet. All the judges are not saint so are the journalist. Each must respect other and none should suffer from inferiority or “SUPERIORITY” complex. To be subservient to the government and its sycophancy is not patriotism or the demonstration of the “SPIRIT OF MUKTIJUDDO”. Both institutions must show respect each other to gain peoples confidence. Reporting from Dhaka Advocate Jebun Nisa Nuri:12.03.14