Bangladesh SC punishes two journalists on contempt charge

Bangladesh's Supreme Court today punished two senior journalists of a leading Bangla daily on contempt charges over publishing an article relating to a 1971 war criminal who was sentenced to death.
The court found Editor Atikullah Khan Masud and Executive Editor Swadesh Roy of daily 'Janakantha' guilty for carrying an article involving the appeal hearing of 1971 war crimes convict Salauddin Quader Chowdhury who was sentenced to death.
They were ordered not to leave the courtroom until the appeals bench, which heard the matter, adjourns.
"They have been found guilty of contempt of court," attorney general Mahbubey Alam told reporters as the duo remained standing at the court room.

Alam said the two have been punished by the court to stand until the end of the court hours and pay a fine amounting to Taka 10,000 (USD 128.683) each or serve seven days in jail.
They were asked to deposit the money to two charities.

The six-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha handed down the judgment as the newspaper carried an article on July 16, alleging that family members of Chowdhury met one of the apex court judges as the appeal hearing was underway.
On July 29, the apex court upheld Chowdhury's death sentence, originally handed down by a special tribunal for crimes against humanity in 1971 and then summoned the editors of the daily to face the contempt charge.

The article written by Roy read "is this the end of Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, the ruthless killer of 1971? SQ is one of those traitors who had the biggest bath with the blood of innocent Bangalis. If that is not so, then how can the people from Salauddin Quader Chowdhury's family meet one of the judges hearing the trial?".