Two British lawyers are seeking permission to represent journalist Farzana Rupa in a case pending before Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal, prompting a senior Supreme Court lawyer to urge the Bangladesh Bar Council to expedite its approval.
Mahbub Shafiq, a senior lawyer at the Supreme Court, sent a letter to the Bangladesh Bar Council on Tuesday, October 13, requesting the necessary steps to allow Jonathan Price KC and Nikhila Kaushik, both associated with the UK-based Doughty Street Chambers, to conduct the case on Rupa’s behalf before International Crimes Tribunal-2.
According to the letter, the two foreign lawyers submitted their applications to the Bar Council by email on October 1 but had yet to receive a response.
The matter is listed as ICT-BD Case No. 05/2026, with a hearing scheduled for November 1 to consider the framing of charges.
The letter cited Section 11(8) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, which provides a mechanism for foreign lawyers to appear before the tribunal, subject to prior permission from the Bangladesh Bar Council, notwithstanding provisions of the Bangladesh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Order, 1972.
The application argued that permission should not be withheld unreasonably and stressed the need for urgent action as the judicial proceedings continue to advance.
Copies of the British lawyers’ applications and emails, along with a power of attorney authorising them to represent Rupa, were reportedly attached to the letter.
The Bar Council’s decision on the request was not mentioned in the letter.
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