Public health activist and freedom fighter Zafrullah Chowdhury has tendered unconditional apology to a war crimes tribunal for his remarks about three judges.
Zafrullah's counsel Sayed Ahmed Raza submitted the petition before the International Crimes Tribunal 2 on Sunday morning.
The three-member tribunal headed by Justice Obaidul Hassan fixed Monday for hearing the petition, Sayed Ahmed Raza told the Dhaka Tribune.
A Magsaysay award-winner, Zafrullah faced contempt charge for making contemptuous comments before the media on June 10.
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On that day, the court found him guilty of contempt of court, imprisoned him at the courtroom for an hour and fined him Tk5,000 for criticising the punishment of Bangladesh-based UK journalist David Bergman.
According to media reports, on that day freedom fighter Zafrullah had said: “Today’s contempt of court verdict is the proof of mental sickness of the three judges.”
On July 6, freedom fighter Monoranjan Ghoshal, Organiser of Gonojagoron Moncho faction Kamal Pasha Chowdhury, activist FM Shahin, Ali Asgar and Nazrul Islam filed a petition with the office of International Crimes Tribunal’s registrar, seeking trial of the freedom fighter.
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Following the petition, Zafrullah was served notice by the tribunal to explain “why he would not be punished for contemptuous remarks.”
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.