The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday acquitted seven pro-BNP lawyers of contempt of court charges for holding a press conference and rally against two Supreme Court justices.
A four-member Appellate Division bench, headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, passed the order.
Meanwhile, the court also fined the petitioner Tk 1 lakh for not being present at the court.
This money will have to be donated to the July Smriti Foundation.
The seven senior BNP lawyers are Barrister Kayser Kamal, general secretary of the Nationalist Lawyers' Forum and BNP legal affairs secretary; late former attorney general AJ Mohammad Ali; BNP Executive Committee member Advocate Fahima Nasrin Munni; Advocate Abdul Jabbar Bhuiyan, president of the Supreme Court unit of the Nationalist Lawyers' Forum; former Supreme Court bar secretary Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajol; former deputy secretary of the Supreme Court bar advocate Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Khan; and Advocate Gazi Kamrul Islam Sohel, general secretary of the Supreme Court unit of the Nationalist Lawyers' Forum.
Representing them in court were Senior Advocate Zainul Abedin, Barrister Badruddoza Badol, and Advocate Maksud Ullah, among others.
Earlier, on November 15, 2023, the Appellate Division summoned the seven senior BNP lawyers to explain the press conference and rally held against two Appellate Division justices.
They were also directed to strictly adhere to a High Court ruling prohibiting any form of procession or rally within the Supreme Court premises and all court arenas.
Later, on January 15, the seven senior BNP lawyers appeared before the Appellate Division. However, on May 2, Senior Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali passed away.
