B'desh SC orders ministers to appear again in contempt case

Bangladesh Supreme Court today ordered two senior ministers to reappear next week over their "contemptuous comments" against the judiciary made in reference to the appeal hearing of a major 1971 war crimes convict.
A larger bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha rebuked food minister Quamrul Islam and liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Huq over their comments and ordered Islam to submit a fresh explanation, calling his today's clarification 'not appropriate', court officials said.
"This (apex) court will not hesitate to pass any order for protecting the constitution, caring little how much powerful you (ministers) are," a visibly angry Chief justice said.

Sinha added: "This court is not an organ of the government... You have not only belittled the chief justice but also defamed the entire judiciary with your arrogant comments."
Earlier today, the two ministers submitted their explanation over the comments and sought unconditional apology. The apex court accepted Huq's clarification but ordered his appearance again along with Islam on March 27.
In an unprecedented move on March 8, the Supreme Court had summoned the two senior ministers to clarify their "contemptuous comments" criticising Sinha over the appeal hearing of a major 1971 war crimes convict, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Qashem Ali.

The apex court on the same day upheld Ali's death penalty and ordered the two ministers personal appearance.

Speaking at a discussion on March 5, Islam had called for a re-hearing of Ali's appeal excluding the chief justice as he had earlier questioned the investigators efficiency in collecting evidence against the accused.
"Through a comment of the chief justice in the court, we have realised what verdict will be delivered in the case. We have realised that there is no scope for awarding the death penalty (to the convict)," the food minister had said.
Haque supplemented him at the same function saying the chief justice should not be a part of the appeal hearing process against Ali.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had last week snubbed the two ministers for "embarrassing" the government through their comments and said the government did not own their "private comments".