Dhaka: The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) 2 on Sunday summoned Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury again to appear before it by 22 July to explain why the charges of contempt of court should not be brought against him.

A three-member bench of the ICT 2, headed by Justice Obaidul Hasan, passed the order.

Earlier on 21 June, the tribunal withdrew a warrant it had issued for Zafrullah Chowdhury’s arrest. On 18 June, the International Crimes Tribunal 2 had issued the warrant as he failed to pay a fine of Tk 5,000 by 17 June as per the tribunal’s pervious order.

On 10 June, the ICT 2 found Dr Zafruallah 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 for contempt of court after hearing a petition by him against the ICT 2 judgment.

But the tribunal did not get the copy of the order on 17 June.

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.