Court summons Khaleda on March 3 in sedition case

A December 21, 2015 Banglar Chokh file photo shows BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia addressing a function of Jatiyatabdi Muktijoddha Dal in Dhaka where she expressed doubt over the actual count of martyrs in the war of independence.

A December 21, 2015 Banglar Chokh file photo shows BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia addressing a function of Jatiyatabdi Muktijoddha Dal in Dhaka where she expressed doubt over the actual count of martyrs in the war of independence.

Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrates’ Court on Monday summoned Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia to appear before it on March 3 in a sedition case over her remarks doubting the number of martyrs in the War of Independence, the role of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Awami League in the war.
Metropolitan magistrate Rashed Talukder passed the order after recording the statement of the plaintiff.
Pro-Awami League lawyer Mamtazuddin Ahmed Mehedi filed the case with the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrates’ Court on Monday urging the court to issue an arrest warrant against the former prime minister following the approval of the case given by the home ministry.
Mamtazuddin Ahmed Mehedi, also the former secretary of Supreme Court Bar Association, got approval of the home ministry on January 21 following an application filed by him.
The ministry, referring to Mamtazuddin’s application, said that Khaleda, at a discussion organised by Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal at Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh on December 21, 2015 made controversial remarks about the number of martyrs, Sheikh Mujib and the Awami League.
By making remarks she committed the offence of sedition and the application was filed with the home ministry to apply section 196 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 to sue her for sedition, said the letter.
Sahara Khatun moved for Mamtazuddin while Sanaullah Mia stood for Khaleda Zia.
Mamtazuddin said Khaleda Zia had not responded to the legal notice served on her on December 23 for her explanation about the remarks.
According to the legal notice, Khaleda had also said that the Awami League was not a party of freedom fighters and there was no freedom fighter in the party.
The AL leaders who claim to be freedom fighters are all fake, said Khaleda, according to the notice.
It also mentioned that without naming the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Khaleda said that he did not want independence, rather wanted to become the prime minister of Pakistan.
The remarks of the BNP chief were published in all the national dailies on December 22, the notice said.
The notice quoted reports of two Bangla dailies — Amader Shomoy and Bangladesh Pratidin.
It termed Khaleda’s remarks derogatory, unwarranted, unconstitutional and seditious.
Meanwhile, BNP chairperson’s adviser and SCBA president Khandker Mahbub Hossain told reporters that she had not constituted any sedition through the remarks as there was no actual figure of martyrs of the war.

Source: New Age