Dhaka: The Supreme Court on Tuesday summoned Food Minister Qamrul Islam and Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque to appear before it on 15 March for their remarks about Chief Justice SK Sinha about prosecution as regards trial of Jamaat leader Mir Quasem Ali, reports local news agency.

A nine-member bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha at about 9:00am ordered them to appear before the court to explain why contempt rule should not be brought against them.

Chief Justice also said that the justices of the Supreme Court were taken into aback by the remarks of the two ministers which were telecast.

He also termed their remarks as naked interference in the free judiciary.

Earlier Food Minister Qamrul Islam and Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque demanded resignation of the Chief Justice for his reported remarks that ‘the prosecution is doing politics with the trial of condemned war criminal and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali.’

The two ministers made the demand at a roundtable discussion organised by Ekatorrer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee in the city on 5 March.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam on 6 March  urged all to exercise restraint in making comments on such issues as those are ‘unconstitutional’.

Earlier, on 23 February, during the hearing of arguments on Mir Quasem Ali’s death row review petition, the Chief Justice purportedly expressed dissatisfaction over the activities of the prosecution and the investigation agency.