A Dhaka court asked Paltan police yesterday to launch an inquiry against BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, his party’s foreign affairs envoy Jahid F Sardar Saadi and 500 others for their remarks against Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman over his role during the Liberation War in 1971.
Metropolitan Magistrate Md Yunus Khan passed the order in response to a complaint filed by Bangladesh Muktijuddha Projonmo President Fazlul Karim Arif Patwari, seeking warrant against the accused.
The court also asked Paltan police to submit their report by April 27.
Complainant Arif accused Tarique, who is currently residing in the UK, and Jahid, US expatriate and also a cousin of revolutionary leader Siraj Sikder, and unnamed 500 leaders and activists of the BNP in the case.
The complaint was filed under Sections 499 and 500 of the Penal Code and Sections 57(1) and 57(2) of the Information and Communication Technology Act. Eleven people, including the editor of Bangla daily Prothom Alo and editors different other dailies and online media were listed as witnesses.
According to the petition, Tarique and Jahid demeaned the founding president by calling him a friend of Pakistan.
Arif also stated in the complaint that Tarique and Jahid both made derogatory and false claims against Bangabandhu.
Speaking at an event in London on December 15 last year, Tarique called Bangabandhu a “razakar,” a term which is synonymous with a collaborator of Pakistani military in the Liberation War.
The complaint also stated that Jahid, also a special adviser of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, released a written statement on December 30 in which he demanded posthumous trial of Bangabandhu for committing murder and establishing dictatorship by introducing Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League.