International Crimes Tribunal chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder on Wednesday suggested the lawyers to address the court as 鈥榶our honour鈥�, 鈥榶our majesty鈥� or 鈥榶our highnesses鈥� as an alternative to 鈥榤y lord鈥�.
鈥楾he words 鈥渕y lord鈥� have a touch of colonialism. I said on the first day of the tribunal that from the point of view of religious belief, lord is one. In that perspective, you need not to address as us as 鈥渕y lord鈥� or 鈥測our lordships鈥�. Moreover, there is a kind of colonialism embedded in these words as this salutation was introduced during that era,鈥� he said.
Golam Mortuza made this comments at a stage during the hearing attended by lawyer ZI Khan Panna in the court room of the tribunal.
He said, 鈥業 think there should be an alternative. Bangla language is not so weak; something else can be used in Bangla language too.鈥�
ZI Khan Panna appeared for a hearing in the tribunal. At one stage of the hearing, he expressed his reservation to address the judges as 鈥榤y lord鈥�, saying, 鈥業 know, my lord is one. But unfortunately, you are forcing me to say this. What else, 鈥渕y lord鈥� must be said when you have obliged.鈥�
In response to his statement, Golam Mortuza told lawyer ZI Khan Panna to address him differently and alternately.