Senior lawyer M Amirul Islam on Wednesday requested the Appellate Division to initiate contempt proceedings against Dhaka South City mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh for his recent remark that he removed a sitting chief justice.
Taposh made the remarks at a discussion at the Shahid Shafiur Rahman auditorium of the Supreme Court Bar Association on Sunday marking the sixth founding anniversary of Bangabandhu Awami Ainjibi Parishad.
Taposh in his remarks also said, ‘Those civil society representatives who want to teach us will be thrown into the black water of the river Buriganga in sacks.’
Amirul Islam, former president of Supreme Court Bar Association, drew the attention of the Appellate Division at 11:30am about Taposh’s remarks and sought a suo motu contempt rule in this regard.
He also submitted copies of daily Manabzamin and New Age newspaper, which published Taposh’s remarks on Tuesday, to the court.
The three-judge Appellate Division chaired by chief justice Hasan Foez Siddique told Amirul Islam that the court would take decision later after reading the reports.
Amirul Islam drew the court’s attention while the Appellate Division’s was hearing other cases in the morning.
Later Amirul Islam told reporters that Taposh’s remarks were ‘contemptuous’.
Amirul said that people of the country felt aggrieved at Taposh’s remarks.
‘I expect that the eight-member full bench of the Appellate Division will give a decision after holding a meeting,’ he added.
SC lawyers leaning to main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party were present while Amirul Islam was briefing reporters about Appellate Division’s hearing on Taposh’s remarks.
Taposh, also a Supreme Court lawyer, said that the Awami League did not need such kind of society members, who want to teach it, even after getting all advantages from the party in the past.
Addressing the event, Tapsoh also said, ‘We have taken enough lessons. We have been learning since the Pakistan period and Awami League has brought independence to Bangladesh.’
He also posed a question as to who would teach them — those who stole democracy, undermined the constitution, rigged vote and elected president though ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote where 103 per cent of the votes were cast.
Taposh further said, ‘If any civil society member tries to teach us anything, we will consider them as followers of the opposition party.’
Human Rights activists, academics, political analysts and lawyers giving a reaction to New Age on Monday, slammed Taposh for his remark that civil society members should be thrown into the river Buriganga in sacks.
They termed the remark as a manifestation of muscle power, intolerance, arrogance and malicious as they did not expect such words from an educated politician like Taposh.
