A Dhaka court yesterday issued an arrest warrant against BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, currently in the UK on parole, in a defamation and sedition case filed by a lawyer for calling Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman a “razakar.”
Metropolitan Magistrate Md Yunus Khan passed the order after Md Mostafizur Rahman Dulal, a member of the Dhaka Bar Association, filed the case. The court also asked the police station concerned to submit warrant execution report on February 2.
After recording the plaintiff’s deposition, the court took into cognisance the defamation charge, but refrained from passing order on the sedition section of the complaint.
Ruling party-backed Hawkers League General Secretary Md Abdul Mannan lodged another defamation complaint against Tarique and three others with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Maruf Hossain over Tarique’s remark made on December 15.
BNP Chairperson’s Adviser Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin, party’s Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and its International Affairs Secretary Majedur Rahman are the three other accused.
But the court kept the petition pending since the complainant or his counsel did not appear before the court during the hearing.
While addressing a programme in London on December 15, Tarique called Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujib a “razakar,” a term which has become synonymous with a collaborator or traitor of the Pakistani occupation army since the country’s independence.
Elder son of BNP chief Khaleda Zia, Tarique said Sheikh Mujib had accepted Yahya Khan as Pakistan’s president and participated in the national and provincial elections accepting his conditions.
He also claimed that Sheikh Mujib, the father of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, had never wanted an independent Bangladesh, but a combined Pakistan.
On December 10, another metropolitan magistrate issued a warrant for arrest of Tarique in a defamation case filed for calling Bangabandhu “Pakbandhu” (friend of Pakistan) and he be charged for sedition. A dozen cases were filed against Tarique for making such comments.
Tarique has been in London since September 11, 2008 on medical grounds after securing parole in various cases. He faces 14 charges, of which four including the August 21 grenade attack case are on trial while the rest are stayed.
He has been giving distorted versions of the history of Bangladesh since the January 5 national election this year. The BNP boycotted the poll and failed to resist it despite months of violent and bloody street protests.
In late May, Tarique at a discussion claimed that the political life of Sheikh Mujib had been a failure whereas BNP founder Gen Ziaur Rahman was a success.
After his latest remarks, the prime minister on Wednesday advised Khaleda to ask her “spoiled” son to watch his mouth while giving statements. “Otherwise the people of the country will teach him a befitting lesson,” Hasina said.
A number of leaders of the ruling Awami League and prominent citizens also vented anger and grievances over Tarique’s comment, terming him insane. Party’s Publicity and Publication Secretary Hasan Mahmud yesterday said if the people of Bangladesh had found Tarique, they would have cut off his tongue for making such comments on Bangabandhu.
Sedition case in Chittagong
City unit Chhatra League General Secretary Nurul Azim Rony yesterday filed a sedition case against Tarique Rahman for calling Bangabandhu a “razakar” with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Moshiur Rahman Chowdhury.
The court took the case into cognisance and ordered Kotwali police Inspector (investigation) Nezam Uddin to look into the matter.
The officer was asked to submit report within 10 days and adjourned the proceedings until December 27.