July 2, 2003	Wednesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 1,1424

DHAKA, July 1: Five traffic policemen were brought before the high court on Monday on contempt charges for halting the car of a Supreme Court judge and subsequently not saluting him.

All five policemen — a traffic inspector and four police sergeants — tendered an unconditional apology, but the court accepted a conditional apology from two and referred the other three to the competent bench of the high court division for prosecution.

Justice A.S.M. Shamsuddin Chowdhury passed the order on Monday. On June 23, traffic police stopped the flagged car of Justice A.S.M. Shamsuddin Chowdhury and allowed the car of the deputy commissioner of traffic police to pass on.

The policemen were not moved when the judge identified himself nor did they salute the limo. They told the judge that they were not bound to salute any car carrying the flag of the Supreme Court. They had saluted the car carrying the deputy commissioner of traffic.

Justice Chowdhury, introducing himself, told them that they had committed misconduct and they would be punished. But the policemen replied, “You can do what you can.”

Then Justice Chowdhury involved the Traffic Inspector and ordered him to arrest the men involved, but the inspector refused to do so.

The court said: “It is not a question of my personal dignity but of the sanctity of the highest court. If I accept their apology, it will be an injustice. Do I have the power to compromise with the sanctity of this highest court?”