SC finds two ministers breached oath of office

The Supreme Court observed that food minister Qamrul Islam and liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Huq were guilty of contempt of the court and breached their oath of office.
The observations came in the full verdict published on Thursday.
‘We are in no doubt that the respondents have intentionally made the utterances as reported and have indeed expressly admitted their guilt. They have acted in violation of law and are in breach of their oath of office to preserve, protect and defend the constitution,’ read the majority verdict.
‘The respondents have scandalized the Supreme Court in a highly motivated manner in order to influence the judgement of the Court. This is gross criminal contempt and a violation of the provisions of the Constitution. The contemnors deserve no sympathy other that the lenient view taken in awarding sentence which has already been expressed in the short order passed by this Court on 27th March, 2016,’ the verdict read.
Three judges of the eight-member bench, however, disagreed with the majority.
Justice Muhammad Imman Ali wrote the majority’s opinion and four others including Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah, Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana and Justice Mirza Hussain Haider agreed with him.
Justice Hasan foyez Siddique wrote dissenting judgement and Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, and Md Nizamul Huq agreed him.
The dissenting view read, ‘There can, therefore, be no question of disagreement with my learned brother as to the findings of guilt of the contemners and sentence awarded. But I am unable to agree with the portion that the contemners are in breach of their oath of office to preserve, protect and defend the constitution.’
In his reaction, food minister Qamrul Islam’s counsel Abdul Baset Majumder said, ‘We have already complied the judgement by paying fine for the contempt.’
He found no reason to file a petition seeking the verdicts review.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net