The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday dismissed a contempt case against seven pro-Bangladesh Nationalist Party lawyers.
The case was filed during the ousted Awami League government.
A four-member bench, led by chief justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, imposed a Tk 1 lakh fine on the petitioner, pro-Awami League lawyer Md Nazmul Huda, for his absence during the contempt proceedings.
Nazmul Huda had raised the contempt issue on August 29, 2023, after pro-BNP lawyers staged protests on the Supreme Court Bar Association premises, demanding removal of Appellate Division judges M Enayetur Rahim and Md Abu Zafor Siddique.
The demonstrations followed controversial remarks allegedly made by the judges, including references to political motivations and scrutiny of Bangladesh鈥檚 electoral process.
The Appellate Division instructed Nazmul Huda to deposit the fine to the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation, a fund supporting families of victims of violence during the July-August Anti-Discrimination Movement, within three weeks.
Advocate-on-record Ali Azam, representing Nazmul Huda, informed the court that he had no directive to proceed with the contempt case.
Pro-Awami League lawyers Nahid Sultana Juthi and Shakila Raushan, the seniors to Nazmul, also did not appear to pursue the case.
The contempt proceedings date back to November 17, 2023, when the Appellate Division, then chaired by chief justice Obaidul Hassan, summoned the seven lawyers.
The court issued notices requiring the seven lawyers to explain why they should not be held in contempt for allegedly participating in demonstrations on the Supreme Court premises, demanding the removal of two Supreme Court judges.
The lawyers facing contempt charges included former attorney general AJ Mohammad Ali (now deceased), Fahima Nasrin Munni, Kayser Kamal, Md Abdul Jabbar Bhuiyan, Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Gazi Kamrul Islam Sajal, and Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Khan.
Senior lawyer Zainul Abedin, representing the alleged contemnors, requested that the court imposed the costs on the petitioner for repeatedly failing to attend, which he argued served only to harass his clients, who had been regularly appearing.
Attorney general Md Asaduzzaman and additional attorney general Aneek R Haque supported the court鈥檚 decision to fine the petitioner for non-compliance.
