A tribunal in Dhaka today exonerated 14 dignitaries of contempt proceedings after they apologised for their statements on the Dhaka-based British journalist David Bergman's punishment.

The International Crimes tribunal-2 headed by its Chairman Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order after the 14 eminent personalities apologised to it.

The three-member tribunal fixed March 3 to take decision about the rest 35 dignitaries, out of total 49 who issued the statements expressing concern over the verdict.

The court on December 2 sentenced Bergman, editor (special reports) of the Daily New Age, to imprisonment until the court session ended and fined him Tk 5,000 for two articles he posted on his personal blog, which demeaned the court.

The ICT-2 today also fixed March 3 to pass order on New York Times, which was asked to give explanation by February 20 on publishing an editorial criticising the punishment against Bergman.

The internationally acclaimed newspaper on December 23 last year published an editorial titled "Muzzling Speech in Bangladesh" where it said the tribunal should immediately overturn Bergman sentence and conviction.