Staff Correspondent:

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has ordered the publication of a public notice in newspapers summoning deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former Bangladesh Chhatra League leader Shakil Alam Bulbul to face contempt of court charges.

A three-member tribunal panel led by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumdar issued the order after hearing a petition by the chief prosecutor on Sunday.

The legal representatives of the accused, who are currently absconding, did not appear before the tribunal, which set Jun 3 for the next order.

A complaint was filed against Hasina and former Gobindaganj Upazila Chhatra League president Shakil on Apr 30 over statements linked to a July Uprising case. The ICT had ordered the accused to file their response by May 15.

After they failed to comply, the tribunal ordered the accused to appear before it on May 25.

On Sunday, Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam informed the tribunal that the accused did not appear in line with the order.

He told the tribunal, “Contempt of court notices have been issued against Sheikh Hasina and Shakil. But they did not file any response. The tribunal then ordered them to appear before it, but they did not comply.

“Steps should be taken to issue notices in two newspapers to make them appear in the tribunal, which is the process followed in other courts.”

Tajul continued, “A notice should specify a seven-day deadline and if they do not appear by then, the tribunal should issue further orders.”

The tribunal then directed the registrar to issue notices in two newspapers.

Earlier, an audio clip went viral on social media. It contained the recording of someone saying, “There are 227 cases against me, so I have got a licence to kill 227 people.”

Later, the police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) carried out a forensic examination of the conversation and identified the speaker as Hasina, leading to a contempt of court case with the tribunal.