Case against Khaleda dismissed

A Dhaka court yesterday dismissed a case hours after it was filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for her remark on Gopalganj that created quite a stir.
Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Asaduzzaman Nur dismissed the case saying that a magistrate court has no jurisdiction to try a person accused of violating the constitution which was brought in the case.
“Besides, the allegation of erasing the name of a district from the geography of a country is regarded as 'civil nature' and is also out of the court's jurisdiction,” the magistrate stated while passing order on the case.
Bangladesh Jananetri Parishad, a pro-Awami League organisation, filed the case.

AB Siddique, president of the organisation, sued Khaleda two days after she made comments about Gopalganj, the home district of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Infuriated at police as they did not allow her to join the opposition's “March for Democracy” programme on December 29, Khaleda came down heavily on the law enforcers.
In the presence of newsmen, she told a female officer, “Where is your home town? Gopali [Gopalganj]? The name of Gopalganj district will be changed … Gopalganj will cease to exist.”
“It is very much defamatory to me as I am a son of Gopalganj where Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was born” said Siddique in his complaint.