Derogatory remarks on judges: SC summons 7 pro-BNP lawyers

The Supreme Court today summoned seven pro-BNP lawyers, asking them to appear before this court on January 15 next year over their "slanderous, derogatory and contemptuous" comments about two apex court judges.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order following a contempt of court petition filed by a SC lawyer against them.

The apex court issued a notice asking the seven pro-BNP lawyers to explain their roles before this court on January 15 about the allegations brought against them, Assistant Attorney General Md Saiful Alam told The Daily Star.

The seven lawyers are Md Kayser Kamal, Abdul Jamil Mohammad Ali, Fahima Nasrin, Md Abdul Jabbar Bhuiyan, Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Khan and Gazi Kamrul Islam Sajal.

SC lawyer Md Nazmul Huda on August 29 this year submitted the petition through his lawyer Nahid Sultana Juthi to the apex court praying to it to draw contempt of court proceedings against the seven lawyers and to punish them for their comments about the two SC judges at a press conference held on the Supreme Court Bar Association premises on August 27.

He said in the petition that the seven pro-BNP lawyers at the press conference demanded that the two SC judges are kept away from discharging judicial functions, and said otherwise they will enforce new programme demanding resignation of the judges after 48 hours, according to the contempt of court petition.