Five individuals yesterday filed a petition with the International Crimes Tribunal-2 for initiating contempt of court proceedings against Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury for his comments over the tribunal.

The tribunal fixed today for hearing the petition, petitioners' lawyer Khan Mohammad Shameem Aziz told reporters after submitting the petition to the tribunal registrar's officer.

The petitioners are freedom fighters Manoranjan Ghoshal, Ajgar Ali and Sheikh Nazrul Islam, and Gonojagoron Manch organisers Kamal Pasha Chowdhury and FM Shahin.

Shameem Aziz said the tribunal-2 on June 10 found Zafrullah guilty of contempt of court and punished him for the offence.

After coming out from the court that day, Zafrullah made some comments before the media, Aziz said, adding: "We found his comments tantamount to contempt of court. That's why the petitioners filed the petition to initiate contempt proceeding against him."

Zafrullah had told reporters: "Today's contempt of court verdict is the proof of mental illness of the three judges. It proves mental illness of three justices. Ensuring justice is not possible if the judges can't tolerate criticism. When they can't tolerate criticism and lack rationality, they hide themselves under cover of law."

Zafrullah, also a freedom fighter, challenged the tribunal's order and the Supreme Court on June 16 stayed the tribunal's verdict following his petition. The matter is still pending before the apex court.

Zafrullah had already faced contempt proceedings twice for his comments on the tribunals. For the first time, he faced contempt charges before the International Crimes Tribunal-1 for his comment in a TV talk show, but the court pardoned him with a warning.

On June 10, the tribunal-2 found Zafrullah guilty of contempt of court and imprisoned him at the courtroom for an hour for criticising punishment of Bangladesh-based UK journalist David Bergman.

The court also ordered him to pay Tk 5,000 in fine within seven days, in default of which he would have to serve one month in prison.

The tribunal said the statement Zafrullah and 49 others issued over Bergman’s punishment was "contemptuous” and punished him for repeat-

ing the offence.

The tribunal, however, acquitted 22 eminent citizens with a caution as they "were not well aware of the consequence of their action" and as they regretted their action, one they had committed for the first time.

The court had earlier exonerated 26 signatories from the charge as they apologised unconditionally, while another signatory - Khusi Kabir - withdrew her name from the statement.

On December 2 last year, the tribunal-2 found Bergman, editor (special reports) of English daily New Age, guilty of contempt for writing two blog posts in January 2013 on the verdict of war crimes convict Abul Kalam Azad. He was sentenced to imprisonment "till rising of the court" that day and was also finedTk 5,000.

On December 20, the daily Prothom Alo ran a report headlined "50 people express concern over Bergman's punishment," which stated that the order would restrict freedom of expression.