A Brahmanbaria court has asked Air Vice-Marshal (retd) AK Khandker to appear before it on June 25 in a case filed for defaming Bangabandhu and freedom fighters.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Monira Sultana passed the order on Thursday, rejecting his anticipatory bail plea.
The court also fixed June 25 for hearing his bail plea.
Earlier, the court issued a summons against him on March 23 and asked him to appear before it on June 25.
But, he appeared before it on Thursday and sought anticipatory bail on medical grounds.
AK Khandker, who was the deputy chief of the liberation forces during the Independence War, claimed in his recent book “1971: Bhitore Baire" that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had mentioned “Joy Pakistan” at the end of his historic March 7 speech in 1971.
Soon after it was published by Prothoma publishers on September 2, 2014, the book drew massive criticisms.
A defamation case was filed against the former Awami League minister on September 10 the same year.
According to the case statement, AK Khandker in his book said some members of the Mujib Bahini had led gangs in robbery during the war.
The book also says most members of the guerrilla force were not seen in battles and the Awami League leadership had failed to perform its due role during the war.
