The Supreme Court has quashed the High Court judgement that fined public health activist and freedom fighter Zafrullah Chowdhury for contempt of court.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order accepting Zafrullah’s unconditional apology.
Toufique Hossain, lawyer of Magsaysay award-winner Zafrullah, told the Dhaka Tribune that the apex court also asked Zafrullah to be cautious while making remarks about judges and judicial system of the country.
The freedom fighter gained prominence after playing a key role in formulating the Bangladesh National Drug Policy in 1982. In 1971, he was one of the organisers of the 480-bed Bangladesh Hospital for freedom fighters and the refugees during the 1971 Liberation War.
On June 10, one of the war crimes tribunals found Zafrullah guilty of contempt, imprisoned him at the courtroom for an hour and fined him Tk5,000 and to serve a month in prison in default of payment.
According to media reports, Zafrullah said on that day: “Today’s contempt of court verdict is the proof of the mental sickness of the three judges.”
Responding to a plea on June 16, the SC stayed the tribunal judgement that fined Zafrullah Tk5,000 or face imprisonment for a month.
However, two days later, the tribunal issued an arrest warrant because he had not paid the fine. On June 21, the tribunal recalled the arrest warrant after he submitted the SC stay order.
On July 12, the tribunal asked Zafrullah to appear before it and explain why he should not be punished regarding the statement made on the court steps after it convicted him and based on a petition brought by a person who had been in the Shadhin Bangla Betar.
On July 22, the tribunal gave him two more weeks for giving the explanation.
Accepting a petition, the three-member tribunal led by Justice Obaidul Hassan fixed August 5 for submission of the explanation.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
