Defamation case against Khaleda dismissed

After recording the statement of the plaintiff Metropolitan Magistrate refused to accept the complaint under section 203 of the Code of Criminal Procedure

A Dhaka Court yesterday dismissed a defamation case filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for her comment that Gopalganj will cease to exist in the geography of Bangladesh.

Jananetry Parishad, an organisation loyal to Awami League, President AB Siddique filed the complaint yesterday morning.

After recording the statement of the plaintiff Metropolitan Magistrate Md Asaduzzaman Nur at 3:30pm refused to accept the complaint under section 203 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The plaintiff, in his complaint, said that during an exchange with police personnel posted outside her Gulshan residence in the capital on December 29, Khaleda Zia asserted she would erase the name of Gopalganj from the map of Bangladesh.

The court also mentioned that the complaint is of civil nature – while that particular court is a criminal court – and so the case is not under its jurisdiction.

After the case was dismissed, plaintiff Siddique told the Dhaka Tribune that he would go to the higher court.

As she was barred from joining “March for Democracy” programme on December 29 an apparently angry and frustrated Khaleda Zia vented her anger at police personnel in front of her house: “Where are you from? Gopali [Gopalganj]? We will change the name of Gopalganj district…Gopalganj will cease to exist.”

Source: Dhaka Tribune