The Supreme Court has fixed Tuesday (July 28) for passing an order on Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder and freedom fighter Zafrullah Chowdhury's petition filed against a tribunal verdict that fined him for contempt.
The four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha fixed the date Monday after hearing the arguments.
Toufique Hossain, lawyer of the Magsaysay award-winner, told the Dhaka Tribune: “During the hearing, the SC asked us whether the public health activist, Zafrullah, would apologise for criticising the punishment of Dhaka-based British journalist David Bergman.
“We replied that we will take decision on the matter Tuesday.”
However, the lawyers of the freedom fighter told journalists that he may apologise to the court Tuesday.
On June 10, a war crime tribunal found Zafrullah guilty of contempt of court, imprisoned him at the courtroom for an hour and fined him Tk5,000 for criticising the punishment of David Bergman.
According to media reports, on that day the public health activist, Zafrullah, said: “Today’s contempt of court verdict is the proof of mental sickness of the three judges.”
On June 16, the Supreme Court stayed until July 5 the tribunal’s verdict that fined Zafrullah Tk5,000, responding to a plea.
However on June 18, the tribunal issued arrest warrant against the freedom fighter “for his failure in paying the money.”
Later on June 21, the tribunal recalled it after Zafrullah submitted a Supreme Court stay order with his petition.
On July 12, International Crimes Tribunal 2 sought an explanation from the freedom fighter on his comments over its judges.
The Tribunal also ordered him to appear before it on July 22 and explain "why he would not be punished for contemptuous remarks," responding to a petition.
On July 6, freedom fighter Monoranjan Ghoshal, Organiser of Gonojagoron Moncho faction Kamal Pasha Chowdhury, activist FM Shahin, Ali Asgar and Nazrul Islam filed the petition with the office of International Crimes Tribunal’s registrar, seeking trial of the freedom fighter.
Later on July 22, International Crimes Tribunal-2 gave two more weeks to the freedom fighter, who is known more for his work in formulating the Bangladesh National Drug Policy in 1982, to explain on his comments over its judges, responding to a time petition.
Accepting his time petition, the three-member tribunal led by Justice Obaidul Hassan fixed August 5 for submission of the explanation.
The freedom fighter gained prominence by being the driving force in formulating the Bangladesh National Drug Policy in 1982. The result has been the wider availability of drugs at drastically reduced prices and Bangladesh has turned into a drug exporting country.
The most significant contribution of the person is he was involved in setting up the 480-bed Bangladesh Hospital for freedom fighters and the refugees during the 1971 war.
The hospital was run by a team of Bangladeshi doctors, medical students and volunteers. Women with no previous training in healthcare were trained within days to help out the patients.
