The Supreme Court administration has warned that publishing or circulating false, misleading or untrue reports about the Bangladesh Supreme Court will amount to contempt of court and may lead to legal action against the individuals or institutions concerned.
The warning came in a press release issued on Monday by Supreme Court Registrar General Muhammad Habibur Rahman Siddique.
The notice urged media outlets to maintain professional standards and ensure objective and accurate reporting when publishing news related to the Supreme Court.
It also asked journalists to verify the accuracy and authenticity of any Supreme Court-related information with the court’s media focal person or the office of the registrar general before publication or broadcast.
The administration said some media outlets had recently circulated reports, including television scrolls, claiming that a senior Appellate Division judge had gone on leave in protest against the appointment of the chief justice in violation of seniority, and that a High Court Division judge had taken leave after not being assigned to a bench.
The Supreme Court administration described these reports as completely false, misleading and regrettable.
Such false and misleading reporting creates public misunderstanding about the country’s highest court and damages the dignity and image of the Bangladesh Supreme Court, the press release said, adding that spreading untrue information about the supreme court constitutes contempt of court.
The administration clarified that Appellate Division Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam is on leave due to his mother’s illness. It also said High Court Division Justice Farid Ahmed is currently hospitalised due to illness and is temporarily unable to perform judicial duties. The administration stressed that these circumstances have no connection with the reports circulated in the media.
Registrar General Muhammad Habibur Rahman Siddique said the situation could have been avoided if the journalists concerned had verified the information with the Supreme Court registry before publishing the reports.
