State Minister for Law and Justice Quamrul Islam on Wednesday urged the BNP Chairperson’s Advisor Khandaker Mahbub Hossain to withdraw his comment about Salauddin Quader Chowdhury’s verdict, and said the comment was an “absolute contempt of court.”
On Tuesday, Khandaker Mahbub said: “Each and every person involved with the trial process will be tried if BNP assumes the power.”
The state minister urged the withdrawal at a press briefing held in his ministry conference room.
He said: “A senior lawyer like Khandaker Mahbub cannot make such comment. It’s absolutely a contempt of court.”
“We hope he will withdraw his comment. Otherwise, Khaleda Zia and her party leaders may also make such comments in the future,” he said.
Quamrul said: “Such a comment, from a person who was a public prosecutor of the tribunals formed in 1973 to try war criminals as per the collaborators act, amounts to the violation of professional ethics.”
“Khandaker Mahbub was a public prosecutor of the Dhaka Tribunal, one of the 73 tribunals formed to try the war criminals in 1973. He dealt with cases that were filed during that period on behalf of the government,” he added.
Quamrul said: “The culprits have been identified, and legal action will be taken against them. The culprits will be arrested as soon as the investigation is over, and their names will be publicly disclosed.”
When asked the names of the culprits, he said: “A group of people have been trying to make the tribunal controversial and mislead the people about it. No doubt they are involved with the incident.”
He said the registrar of the International Crimes Tribunals filed a general diary regarding the incident. The diary was transferred to the detective branch for investigation.
The cybercrime cell of home ministry has not undertaken any initiatives regarding the verdict leak.
Home Ministry’s Additional Secretary Mainuddin Khandokar on Wednesday told the Dhaka Tribune that they do not have any initiatives regarding the incident as it is not a matter relating to the home ministry.
Mainuddin Khandokar said they had not received any instructions from higher authorities, and they would start only after getting such instructions.
