13 summoned in contempt case over Babus Salam Waqf Estate

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has called 13 people, including retired Justice Md Nuruzzaman Noni and Maulana Anisur Rahman, to answer in separate cases of contempt of court related to the Babus Salam Waqf Estate near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

A three-member Appellate Division bench led by Justice Ashfaqul Islam ordered the accused to appear before the court and submit their responses on June 8. The other members of the bench are Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Farah Mahbub.

The order was issued on May 18 in response to two separate contempt petitions filed by the mutawalli (trustee) of the Babus Salam Waqf Estate and the Waqf administrator.

According to the petition filed on behalf of the mutawalli, retired Justice Mohammad Nuruzzaman Noni, acting as interim administrator of the estate, along with former principal of Babus Salam Madrasa Anisur Rahman and their 13-member committee, allegedly failed to hand over the institution’s accounts and administrative responsibilities to the Waqf Estate authorities since June 29, 2025, despite prior court directives.

The petitioners argued that the committee’s failure to comply with the Appellate Division’s order amounted to contempt of court, prompting the legal action.

Former mutawalli Syed Mostak said the court accepted their petition after hearing the matter. He alleged that Justice Noni and Maulana Anisur Rahman were leading an “illegal committee” that had unlawfully retained control of the Babus Salam Waqf Estate.

Justice Md Nuruzzaman Noni, a former Supreme Court judge, served as an additional judge of the High Court Division after his appointment on June 30, 2009. He was made a permanent High Court judge on June 6, 2011, and elevated to the Appellate Division on October 8, 2018. He retired on June 30, 2023, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 67.