The International Crimes Tribunal 1 has set June 22 to rule whether contempt proceedings would commence against senior Supreme Court lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, also an adviser to the BNP chief, for threatening the trial-related persons with action.
The tribunal completed hearing on the reply of Mahbub, also vice-chairman of Bangladesh Bar Council, on Thursday.
The notice was issued on October 6 last year for his remarks on the verdict against death row convict Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, a former lawmaker of the BNP from Chittagong’s Raozan.
Mahbub, just after the pronouncement of the verdict, at a press conference said the ongoing war crimes trial had been “farcical” and warned that each and every person involved with the trial would be tried if the BNP came to power.
When the tribunal 1 issued a show-cause notice why his remarks would not be taken as contempt of court, Mahbub submitted his reply to the tribunal on November 19 last year. He claimed that he had not said anything regarding the tribunal or its judges. He also said he had not tried to malign the tribunal.
Against this reply, prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum submitted that Mahbub’s speech was baseless, incorrect and one-sided. The speech was aimed at scandalising the tribunal’s activities which could not be accepted.
He added that the speech had also been a threat to the security of the persons involved with the trial process. He said because of such remark, the prosecution witnesses had been in fear.
During the hearing, Mahbub’s lawyer Md Tajul Islam prayed to the tribunal to accept his “explanation” and dismiss the prayer of the prosecution.
