Contempt of court: HC summons MD, Secy of Freedom Fighters’ Welfare Trust

The High Court has summoned the managing director and secretary of Bangladesh Freedom Fighters’ Welfare Trust (BFFWT) directing them to appear before it on January 10 on a charge of committing contempt of court.

Managing director of BFFWT Md Iftikharul Islam Khan and its secretary Sayed Mahmud Belal Haider will have to appear before the HC by 10:30am on January 10 to explain their conducts for not complying with its order regarding the job of an official of the trust, Barrister Md Abdul Halim, lawyer for the contempt of court petitioner, told The Daily Star today.

The HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal passed the summons order on Monday following a contempt of court petition filed by a terminated official of the BFFWT.

Barrister Halim said the BFFWT in its 41st meeting terminated its engineer Yeasir Arafat on expiry of his service contract although another engineer with the same qualification was made permanent at the same meeting in May this year.

Yeasir Arafat filed a writ petition with the HC in July challenging the legality of BFFWT’s decision to terminate him from the service.

Following the writ petition, the HC bench on July 31 stayed the BFFWT’s decision to terminate Yeasir from the service and issued a rule why its decision should not be declared illegal.

Despite the HC’s stay order on the termination, BFFWT stopped paying his salary.

Then Yeasir filed a contempt of court petition with the HC against the BFFWT’s managing director and secretary for defying its order.

Following the contempt of court petition, the same HC bench on November 25 issued a rule asking BFFWT officials to explain in 10 days why contempt of court proceedings should not be brought against them for violating its July 31 order.

As the BFFWT’s managing director and secretary did not make any reply to the contempt of court rule, the HC bench on Monday summoned them to appear before it on January 10, the lawyer added.