A contempt of court petition has been filed with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh for his comments about a chief justice and civil society.
Shah Ahmed Badal, member secretary of "the Ad-hoc Committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA)" submitted the petition yesterday to the office concerned of the SC, saying that the utterances made by Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh has constituted a contempt of the highest court of the country and the judiciary as a whole.
In the petition, he prayed to the apex court to issue a notice to Taposh asking him explain why he should not be punished for his "flagrant, disregard and willful contempt of the office of the chief justice and highest judiciary".
The lawyer in the petition urged the SC to bring Taposh before it in person and impose a fine on him for his comments.
Citing the petition, Advocate Shah Ahmed Badal told The Daily Star that Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh has made indecent, disrespectful and malicious comments about the judiciary while he was delivering speech at a function organised by Bangabandhu Awami Ainjibi Parishad at the SCBA auditorium on May 21 on the occasion of its sixth founding anniversary.
On May 23, Bangla daily Manab Zamin published a report containing his statements under a headline "Ekjon Chief Justice keo Namiye Diyechhilam (We had even taken down a chief justice)."
The report quoted Taposh as saying, "I wish I could resign and come back here [at the SCBA]. I know where to use the hammer. We had even taken down a chief justice."
"The civil society members, who want to preach to us, we will bundle them in a sack and throw them into the dark water of the Buriganga", the report quoted.
The Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division may hold hearing of the contempt of court petition, lawyer Shah Ahmed Badal said.
