A Dhaka court yesterday issued an arrest warrant against BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman for terming Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman a “Pakbandhu” – meaning “friend of Pakistan” – and spreading misinformation about the Liberation War.
Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Lutfur Rahman Shishir issued the warrant order after Jewel Rana, assistant commissioner (Paltan Zone) of the Detective Branch (DB) of police and also the investigating officer of the case, submitted a probe report that found evidence supporting the allegation of sedition against Tarique.
The court issued the arrest warrant upon a petition filed by complainant Advocate Moshiur Malik and fixed March 5 next year for the submission of the warrant execution report to the police station concerned.
On September 15 this year, the investigating officer submitted a probe report before the court after finding evidence of sedition.
On October 19 last year, Advocate Moshiur Malik, president of the Bangabandhu Foundation, filed the case with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court.
The case statement states that Tarique Rahman termed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman a “Pakbandhu” during a discussion held at York Hall in East London on September 29 last year.
A day later, the petitioner came to know about Tarique’s comments from a report published in the daily Kaler Kontho titled ‘‘Bangladesher Prothom President Biswaneta Shaheed Ziaur Rahman: Prekhkhit Bangladesh.”
The petitioner added that Tarique said: “Sheikh Mujib is not Bangabandhu, rather he is Pakbandhu. He cannot be the father of the nation, he is a killer.
The petitioner accused Tarique of engaging in a campaign against Bangladesh’s history, its Liberation War and Bangabandhu’s role.
BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman has been in London since September 11, 2008, after getting parole in various cases on medical grounds.
He faces 18 charges, of which four, including the August 21 grenade attack case, are under trial and 10 are stayed.