Dhaka: The International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) on Thursday issued a warrant for the arrest of Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury on contempt of court charges.

The three-member International Crimes Tribunal-2, led by Justice Obaidul Hassan, passed the order as he failed to pay a fine of Tk 5,000 by Wednesday as per the tribunal’s pervious order.

Earlier on 10 June, the ICT-2 found Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury guilty of contempt of court for criticising the punishment of British journalist David Bergman and punished him keeping him standing in the court for an hour and fined him Tk 5,000.

The court asked him to pay the fine in seven days and in default he will have to suffer one month’s jail.

On 16 June, the Appellate Division’s Chamber Judge withheld the judgment of the ICT-2 for fining Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury for contempt of court after hearing a petition by Dr Zafrullah against the ICT-2 judgment.  

But the tribunal did not get the copy of the order on the deadline (Wednesday).

On 14 January, the ICT-2 issued a contempt notice against 49 people who had expressed concern through a statement published on daily Prothom Alo over the tribunal’s judgment to punish British citizen and journalist David Bergman of contempt of court.

Based on their explanations, the tribunal on two past dates exonerated 25 from the allegation of contempt of court.

The ICT-2 on 1 April drew contempt proceedings against the 23 noted citizens.

Bergman, special reports' editor of daily New Age, got the punishment for committing contempt of court on 2 December 2014, for his criticism of the trial process on his personal blog and thus demeaning the court.