A contempt of court complaint has been filed in the High Court against Sarzis Alam, the chief organizer of the National Citizens’ Party (NCP) for the northern region, over a Facebook post deemed disrespectful and derogatory toward the judiciary.
On May 24, Supreme Court lawyer Md. Jasim Uddin sent a legal notice to Sarzis Alam, stating that his comment, made from a verified Facebook account regarding a recent High Court verdict, undermined the dignity of the judiciary. The notice demanded that Sarzis offer an unconditional apology to the Chief Justice through the Registrar General of the Supreme Court and provide a written explanation for his remarks.
Additionally, the notice urged him to issue a public apology to the people of Bangladesh via a press conference within two hours of receiving the notice. It further warned that failure to comply would lead to the initiation of contempt of court proceedings.
As Sarzis Alam did not respond within the given timeframe, lawyer Md. Jasim Uddin formally filed the contempt petition with the High Court on Wednesday, May 28.
According to the notice, on May 22, the High Court dismissed a writ petition challenging the Election Commission’s gazette and the Election Tribunal’s verdict declaring Ishraq Hossain as the Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation. Shortly after the verdict, at 11:49 AM, Sarzis posted a reaction on Facebook, which was later reported in the media.
The lawyer claims that Sarzis Alam’s statement shows clear disrespect toward one of the fundamental pillars of the state — the judiciary — and constitutes contempt of the highest court.
