Bangladesh News

The High Court (HC) yesterday termed former communications minister Nazmul Huda and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman ‘wrong-headed’ and ‘worthless’ for making ‘derogatory’ remarks on the June 21 HC judgement on proclamation of the country’s independence.

Meanwhile, the HC exempted former vice chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Emajuddin Ahmed from appearing before the court in person in a contempt of court petition filed against him for making ‘contemptuous comment’ on the same HC verdict.

During hearing of the petition against Huda and Kamaruzzaman, the HC bench of justices ABM Khairul Haque and M Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed observed that they had made the comments without being informed about the HC judgement.

“No self-conscious person can make such remarks,” the court said.

The bench, however, disposed of the petition saying, “We shall not issue any rule against the persons who are not aware of the dignity and authority of the High Court judges.”

President of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) advocate AFM Mesbahuddin, Vice Chairman of Bangladesh Bar Council advocate Abdul Baset Majumder and Additional Attorney General MK Rahman were present.

They told the court that since the statements of Huda and Kamaruzaman hurt the dignity of the HC, a contempt rule should be issued against them.

Barrister Mainul Hosein, former adviser to a caretaker government, prayed to the court for disposal of the petition with some observations.

Petitioner’s counsel Advocate Manzill Murshid said if the HC did not take the statements into cognisance, it will have negative impact on people.

Huda and Kamaruzzaman said the judgment on proclamation of the country’s independence was not of the HC rather it was a personal verdict of the judges concerned.

The judges made observations in the verdict as if they are political leaders and the judgment was a political one, the two said.

Their remarks were published in various national dailies on June 30.

SM Zafar Sadik, a lawyer of the Supreme Court (SC), on July 1 filed the contempt of court petition against them with the HC.

PETITION AGAINST EMAJUDDIN
Emajuddin appeared before the same HC bench at 10:30am in connection with a contempt of court petition filed against him by Abdus Salam, who had filed the writ petition regarding the proclaimer of independence on which the HC delivered its verdict.

The court exempted Emajuddin from appearing before the court in person until further order upon his application.

It also directed his counsel barrister Abdullah Al Mamun to reply to the HC rule issued earlier against him.

The same HC bench on June 24 issued a rule upon Emajuddin to explain why the same contempt proceeding should not be taken against him for making contemptuous statement about the HC judges.