Dhaka: The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) 2 on Wednesday deferred for two weeks (to August 5) the hearing on the charges of contempt of court against Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury.

Advocate Abdul Baset Mazumder, lawyer of Zafrullah Chowdhury, during today’s case proceedings submitted a time petition to the tribunal seeking two more weeks for preparation of the explanation.

A 3-member bench of ICT 2, headed by Justice Obaidul Hasan, passed the order in the presence of Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury.

Earlier on 12 July, the ICT 2 summoned the Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder to appear before it on 22 July to explain why the charges of contempt of court should not be brought against him.

On 21 June, the tribunal had withdrawn a warrant it had issued for the arrest of Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury.

On 18 June, the International Crimes Tribunal 2 issued the warrant for the arrest of Dr Zafrullah 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 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 before the deadline (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.