Court summons Khaleda in sedition case over her 1971 remarks

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court of Dhaka has summoned Khaleda Zia to appear before it to explain her remarks on 1971 martyrs after it took cognisance of a sedition case against her.

Lawyer Mamtaj Uddin Mehedi, a former secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association, has lodged the case against the BNP chairperson.

He had appealed to the court for cognisance of the case on Monday morning, a day after the government gave its green signal for the filing of the case.

Mehedi is also a member in the ruling Awami League’s Central Working Committee.

Amin Uddin Manik, one of the lawyers of the plaintiff side, said Metropolitan Magistrate Rashed Talukder ordered Khaleda to appear before the court by Mar 3 for an explanation.

After the order, pro-BNP lawyers had demonstrated in the court premises and raised anti-government slogans.

The sedition case is based on the BNP chief’s doubt expressed on Dec 21 last year on the number of people martyred in the 1971 Liberation War.

Two days later, lawyer Mehedi served a legal notice on the former prime minister, asking her to issue an ‘unconditional apology’ within seven days or face legal consequences.

As Khaleda did not reply to the notice, Mehedi filed a petition last week with the home ministry seeking its clearance, a must for filing sedition cases.

The ministry then approved the petition on Jan 21.

Confirming that the lawyer was given the approval, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Sunday told reporters, "We had received a letter on this issue. We have issued a guideline."

Asked whether the BNP chief would be arrested after the case was filed, he only said: "Everything will be done according to the law.”

However, Khaleda’s Adviser Khandker Mahbub Hossain on Sunday said the government took the decision on other than legal consideration.

“Her comments cannot be seditious according to the definition of sedition in the law,” claimed Hossain, also the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association. “It (the permission) is based on a wrong idea...and the government did it out of spite. It’s wrong."