International Crimes Tribunal 2 has sought an explanation from Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury, also a freedom fighter, on his comments over its judges.
The three-member tribunal, led by its chairman Justice Obaidul Hassan, passed the order on Sunday afternoon, responding to a petition.
The court also asked Zafrullah, a Magsaysay award-winner, to appear before it on July 22 and explain why he would not be punished for contemptuous remarks.
Earlier 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.
The petition stated that Zafrullah, made contemptuous comments before the media on June 10 after 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 the public health activist, Zafrullah, had 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, who is known more for his work in formulating the Bangladesh National Drug Policy in 1982, submitted a Supreme Court stay order with his petition.
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.
