Arrest warrants for Tarique, Fakhrul in libel suit

A Dhaka court has ordered arrests of BNP leaders Tarique Rahman and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in a defamation case.

Metropolitan Magistrate Anwar Sadat issued the warrants on Tuesday in a case filed by A B Siddiqui, president of the Awami League’s associate organisation Jananetri Parishad, as the accused did not respond to a summons.

Police were asked to submit a report on the arrest of BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique who has been living in the UK for the past six years and the party’s acting Secretary General Fakhrul, who was arrested on Jan 6.

Siddiqui, on Sep 8 last year, had filed the case, alleging that Tarique in a discussion in London on Aug 24 had made derogatory remarks about the Awami League and its President Sheikh Hasina.

Tarique had also made a defamatory speech on Sep 2, falsifying Bangladesh’s history, according to the case detail.

Siddiqui alleged that Fakhrul in a function in Dhaka on Sep 5 had given false and defamatory information on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Mar 7 address.

The Jananetri Parishad president had also filed a case on Oct 21 against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia accusing her of inciting religious passion.

Police were directed to file a report on the investigation into the case on Tuesday.

As the police failed, Metropolitan Magistrate Shamsul Arefin asked Shahbagh Police Station OC to do so by Feb 17.

According to the case details, Khaleda had made derogatory remarks about the Awami League in a function of the Hindus in Dhaka.

Siddiqui alleged that Khaleda had said Awami League ‘grabbed religious institutions by flaunting secularism’.