High Court bans Tarique Rahman's speeches, statements in Bangladesh

The High Court has banned broadcast, publication and dissemination of speeches and statements of BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, who is absconding.

The BNP leader has often hit the headlines with controversial remarks on Bangladesh's history.

The bench of justices Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Abu Taher Mohammad Saifur Rahman gave the order on Wednesday after hearing a petition by one Nasrin Siddiqui Lina.

It has instructed the information secretary to implement the High Court order.

The petition filed on Tuesday sought High Court orders directing the information secretary to prevent newspapers, electronic media and social media from publicising, broadcasting or reproducing Tarique's speeches.

After hearing the matter, the court issued an interim order barring publication and broadcasting of the BNP leader's speeches or statements in mainstream and social media as long he is absconding.

Implicated in a couple of corruption cases, Khaleda's elder son Tarique Rahman has been living in London since 2008 after being released on parole. Later he was declared absconding by a Dhaka court in a case of money laundering.

The court also issued a rule on Wednesday asking why the information secretary should not be directed to ban publicising Tarique's speeches.

Secretaries at the ministries of information, home, and law, the inspector general of police, BTV director general and BTRC chairman have been asked to come up with their explanations within three weeks of the order.