The International Crimes Tribunal 1 has set June 30 for passing order upon a pending contempt charge issued against barrister Fakhrul Islam, the counsel for death row convict war criminal Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.
The three-member tribunal, headed by Justice M Enayetur Rahim, set the date yesterday after the final hearing submitted by the contemnor’s lawyer, who sought unequivocal apology for the accused admitting his contemptuous act.
On January 14 last year, the tribunal in a rule asked Fakhrul to explain why contempt proceedings should not be drawn against him for seeking explanation from two other members of the tribunal whether they were privy to the alleged Skype scandal over conducting the trial.
The tribunal mentioned that the petition had been filed with a mala fide intention to slander the tribunal judges and create confusion about the judges in public mind.
The proceeding started when on December 11, 2012 first chairman of the tribunal 1 Justice Nizamul Huq resigned as he had allegedly been receiving advice regularly through email and Skype conversations with Dr Ahmed Ziauddin, a Brussels-based Bangladeshi expert.
Fakhrul was arrested in November last year allegedly for his connection with the leak of a part of the draft verdict in Salauddin Quader case.
Appearing on behalf of Fakhrul, lawyer Tajul Islam said the contemnor had already sought unconditional apology before he had gone to jail in another allegation. Tajul said: “Fakhrul is now in jail. He has no counsel here to represent him at this moment. So he told me to appear on behalf of him.”
The tribunal then asked him to place any example of seeking unconditional apology at the early stage of the proceeding. Tajul then placed some examples from the Appellate Division.
Meanwhile, defence lawyer Mizanul Islam for Jamaat-e-Islami leader Maulana Abdus Subhan ended cross-examination of the fifth prosecution witness yesterday. Mohammad Israil testified on Wednesday.
The tribunal later set May 20 for placing further witness in the case.