The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 has reprimanded the Daily Sangram's reporter covering the tribunal for publishing report having 'false' and 'misleading' information about a witness.
Day's proceedings of the first International Crimes Tribunal on Wednesday began with the head of the three-strong tribunal, Justice Nizamul Huq, feeling 'sorry' over twisted facts in the news report.
The tribunal expressed disappointment over the news report after prosecution counsel Zead-Al Malum brought it to its attention.
On May 29, the Daily Sangram carried a news report titled "Witness Sheeru Bengali himself stands accused in cases of forgery, fraud and misappropriation."
"What does the headline mean? What do you want to convey by this sentence?" asked Justice Huq as he talked to Shahidul Islam, reporter of the Daily Sangram, a Jamaat-e-Islami mouthpiece.
Shahidul stood speechless as the justice continued reading parts of the report after the headline.
"The witness No. 3 is a fake freedom fighter," Justice Huq read out from the report as he termed the statement 'a dangerous statement to make'."
He wondered from where the reporter had received the information when neither the defence nor the prosecution had to say anything like this.
"Does a newspaper have the authority to deliver such a verdict?" Justice Huq asked. He also ordered the reporter of the newspaper to publish a corrigendum on the 'facts' given in the report.
Sirajul Islam alias Sheeru Bengali, is the third witness in the case filed against BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowhdury, who is facing charges on 23 counts of the crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
During the defence's cross-examination on May 28, Sheeru Bengali had said that he did not have a freedom fighter's certificate.
"Having no certificate does not mean a fake freedom fighter," said Justice Huq, who also urged cooperation from the media in holding a smooth trial.
Until the lunch recess, Mizanul Islam, defence counsel of Delwar Hossain Sayedee, continued with cross-examination of the investigation officer in the case for the 14th straight day on Wednesday.
The cross-examination will resume on Thursday at the tribunal formed to try genocide and other crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
On Apr 26, in its first conviction for contempt of court, the tribunal sentenced the Daily Sangram editor-publisher and its Feni correspondent to a token prison term and fined them Tk 5,000 each.
The conviction followed publication of a report on Apr 2 in the newspaper covering an event in which certain lawyers of Feni Bar Association had stated that the tribunal was partisan.
Day's proceedings of the first International Crimes Tribunal on Wednesday began with the head of the three-strong tribunal, Justice Nizamul Huq, feeling 'sorry' over twisted facts in the news report.
The tribunal expressed disappointment over the news report after prosecution counsel Zead-Al Malum brought it to its attention.
On May 29, the Daily Sangram carried a news report titled "Witness Sheeru Bengali himself stands accused in cases of forgery, fraud and misappropriation."
"What does the headline mean? What do you want to convey by this sentence?" asked Justice Huq as he talked to Shahidul Islam, reporter of the Daily Sangram, a Jamaat-e-Islami mouthpiece.
Shahidul stood speechless as the justice continued reading parts of the report after the headline.
"The witness No. 3 is a fake freedom fighter," Justice Huq read out from the report as he termed the statement 'a dangerous statement to make'."
He wondered from where the reporter had received the information when neither the defence nor the prosecution had to say anything like this.
"Does a newspaper have the authority to deliver such a verdict?" Justice Huq asked. He also ordered the reporter of the newspaper to publish a corrigendum on the 'facts' given in the report.
Sirajul Islam alias Sheeru Bengali, is the third witness in the case filed against BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowhdury, who is facing charges on 23 counts of the crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
During the defence's cross-examination on May 28, Sheeru Bengali had said that he did not have a freedom fighter's certificate.
"Having no certificate does not mean a fake freedom fighter," said Justice Huq, who also urged cooperation from the media in holding a smooth trial.
Until the lunch recess, Mizanul Islam, defence counsel of Delwar Hossain Sayedee, continued with cross-examination of the investigation officer in the case for the 14th straight day on Wednesday.
The cross-examination will resume on Thursday at the tribunal formed to try genocide and other crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
On Apr 26, in its first conviction for contempt of court, the tribunal sentenced the Daily Sangram editor-publisher and its Feni correspondent to a token prison term and fined them Tk 5,000 each.
The conviction followed publication of a report on Apr 2 in the newspaper covering an event in which certain lawyers of Feni Bar Association had stated that the tribunal was partisan.
0 comments:
Post a Comment