The Supreme Court yesterday stayed for four weeks a High Court verdict that sentenced ousted Proshika chairman Qazi Faruque Ahmed to one month's imprisonment for violating an HC directive of 2009.
Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order after hearing a petition filed by Qazi Faruque seeking a stay order on the HC verdict.
According to the SC order, the former Proshika chairman need not serve jail time for next four weeks, Ramzan Ali Sikder, a lawyer for Qazi Faruque, told The Daily Star.
In his stay petition, Qazi Faruque stated that the governing body nominated him chairman of Proshika every year and the HC has allowed him to enter its office, Ramzan added. On Tuesday, the HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah sentenced Qazi Faruque to one month's imprisonment for violating its 2009 directive. The HC also directed Qazi Faruque to hand over the Proshika chairman's office to its present Chairman MA Wadud and asked him to submit a report before it after complying with its order in 15 days.
The bench delivered the verdict after hearing a case filed by MA Wadud, who was nominated chairman of Proshika in 2009 by its governing body.
The HC on August 10, 2009 issued a status quo on the possession of Proshika office, saying that Qazi Faruque could enter the office as its former chairman, but he could not take any decision for the organisation and he would not be able to hold any meeting or procession on the office premises.
On May 20 in 2012, Qazi Faruque and his associates, in total violation of this directive, entered the Proshika office in the capital's Mirpur and took its control. He, since then, has been carrying out the duties as chief of Proshika, Advocate Md Solaiman, a lawyer for MA Wadud, said on Tuesday.
On May 24, 2009, the present governing body of Proshika replaced Qazi Faruque with MA Wadud as the organisation's chairman in the face of employee agitation against Faruque for “indulging in corruption and nepotism”, the lawyer also said.
