The Appellate Division on Sunday suspended High Court Division lawyer Muhammad Ashraful Islam鈥檚 practice in any court across the country until further hearing on August 29.
A bench chaired by chief justice Obaidul Hassan issued the contempt rule against Ashraf for uploading a live video remark against a High Court judge and a number of senior lawyers, on his Facebook page on April 29.
The court, however, asked journalists not to publish the Facebook content over alleged irregularities of the judge.
The bench also asked the chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission to remove Ashraful鈥檚 remarks from his Facebook post immediately.
The Appellate Division asked Ashraful to appear before its full bench on August 29 to explain in person why he would not be punished for the contempt of the court for defaming the judge and the judiciary through his Facebook post.
The apex court passed the order after hearing a petition filed by seven lawyers鈥� Md Jakaria Habib, Md Murad Hossain, Md Saddam Hossain, Golam Kibria Sourav, Jannatul Islam Peya, Naim Sarder and Md Sultan seeking a contempt of the court ruling against Ashraful.聽
Neither Ashraf nor his lawyer was present during the hearing.
Lawyer Ahsanul Karim, appearing for the seven lawyers, argued that Ashraful, a habitual contemnor, deliberately and intentionally disrespected, defamed and condemned a siting judge and the judiciary through his Facebook post.
He also submitted that Ashraful鈥檚 Facebook post spread communalism, falsehood and mala fide information among the people about a sitting judge.
