A special tribunal in Dhaka today exonerated a counsel of executed war criminal Salauddin Quader Chowdhury from a contempt of court charge after he offered unconditional apology.

The three-member International Crimes Tribunal-1 led by Justice Anwarul Haque exonerated Fakhrul Islam after it cautioned him not to repeat his conduct.

The tribunal on January 14, 2013 ordered him to explain why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against him "for interfering in the tribunal's proceedings".

It served a show-cause notice on Fakhrul and asked to reply on February 6 that year. The notice was issued in response to a petition filed by him.

The defence lawyer filed the petition in December 2012 against the backdrop of an alleged Skype conversation between the tribunal's former chairman Justice Md Nizamul Huq and expatriate legal expert Ahmed Ziauddin.

In the petition the defence counsel asked the tribunal to clarify its independence beyond any doubt and state whether any of its members was privy to the alleged Skype conversation or have been in contact with Ziauddin.