Prothom Alo editor cleared, jt editor fined

The High Court (HC) fined the daily Prothom Alo joint editor Tk 5,000 for contempt of court charge while exonerated its editor Motiur Rahman for publishing two signed articles by contemnor Mizanur Rahman Khan on its proceedings over anticipatory bail, reports UNB.

An HC division bench, comprising Justice Naima Haider and Justice Zafar Ahmed, passed the order on Thursday upon a contempt rule.

Court sources said the HC in its ruling also said contemnor Mizanur Rahman Khan's standing on the dock during hearing the rule was considered as sentence.

Motiur Rahman was exonerated from the contempt charge as he sought for unequivocal apology, the sources added.

In a suo moto rule on March 9, the HC issued the contempt of court rule upon vernacular daily editor Motiur Rahman and its joint editor Mizanur Rahman Khan for publishing two 'contemptuous' articles on its proceedings over anticipatory bail.

Issuing the rule, the HC asked them to show cause why contempt proceedings should not be drawn against them for publishing 'contemptuous' articles titled 'Minute-e ekti aagam jamin kibhabe?' (how an anticipatory bail possible in every minute?) and 'Chhoy theke aat saptaher swadhinata', (freedom for six too eight weeks ) in its Friday (February 28) and Saturday (March 01) issues respectively.

The HC passed the orders upon a petition filed by Abu Taleb, a lawyer.

bdnews24.com adds: It acquitted the editor Matiur Rahman, but censured the newspaper and said it should be careful with articles published in future.

"This is a severe contempt (of court). But still Mizanur Rahman has only been fined," said the verdict.

"No such articles can be published which defames the court and hinders the delivery of justice for people," said the judge.