Arrest warrants against Tarique, Fakhrul

A Dhaka court yesterday issued arrest warrants against BNP leaders Tarique Rahman and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in a defamation case filed against them on the charges of distorting history and defaming Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The orders came after police submitted the probe report on the incident before it.
The court directed the Paltan police officer-in-charge to submit by March 5 a progress report on execution of the arrest warrants issued against the duo.
The case was filed by AB Siddique, president of Bangladesh Jananetri Parishad, a pro-Awami League organisation, with another Dhaka court on September 8 last year.
In the case statement, the complainant said BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique, at a seminar in London on August 24, said, “The prime minister is a leader of black sheep”.
On September 2, Tarique told another seminar that Ziaur Rahman was the first president of Bangladesh, which is defamatory and punishable, the statement said.
BNP acting secretary general Fakhrul, at a programme in the party's Nayapaltan headquarters on September 5 last year, said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the end of his March 7 speech in 1971 used the words “Joy Pakistan”, the complainant said.
CASE AGAINST KHALEDA
Another Dhaka court yesterday for the third time asked Shahbagh OC to submit by February 17 a probe report on the defamation case filed against BNP chief Khaleda Zia for calling the ruling Awami League “a party of atheists”.
CASE AGAINST FAKHRUL, 22 OTHERS
Metropolitan Magistrate Tareq Mainul Islam Bhuiyan yesterday adjourned till January 29 the hearing on charge framing against Fakhrul and 22 others over vandalising and torching vehicles on March 2, 2013 before the Bata shoe shop at the capital's Malibagh intersection.