By Mizan Rahman
A Dhaka court yesterday issued a warrant for the arrest of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman, now in London, in a case filed for calling Bangladesh’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman a ‘great Razakar’ (a collaborator with the Pakistan occupation army in 1971).
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate M Yunus Khan issued the arrest warrant after M Mostafizur Rahman Dulal, a member of Dhaka Bar Association, filed a defamation case against Tarique Rahman for his disparaging remarks on Bangabandhu.
Earlier in the morning, five separate defamation cases were filed against Tarique in Dhaka, Comilla, Chittagong and Natore districts for the derogatory remark.
Earlier on Monday, BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman called Sheikh Mujibur Rahman a “big Razakar”. He sought the disbanding of the ruling Awami League calling it a “party of thugs”, and claimed that Bangabandhu’s made no contribution to the country’s Liberation War in 1971.
According to a message received in Dhaka on December 16, Tarique, addressing a discussion marking the Victory Day in London on Monday said, “Awami League claims that it’s a party of War of Independence, but it’s Sheikh Mujib who had banned Awami League describing it as a party of thugs. So, if it’s a party of Liberation War, Sheikh Mujib is a great Razakar for obliterating Awami League”.
Meanwhile, five defamation cases were filed against Tarique Rahman yesterday in Dhaka, Comilla, Chittagong and Natore for calling Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman a “great Razakar”.
Hawkers League general secretary M Abdul Mannan filed a defamation and a sedition case against Tarique, also the eldest son of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and current chairperson Khaleda Zia, with the court of Dhaka metropolitan magistrate M Maruf Hossain for his derogatory comments.
BNP adviser Mir Nasir Uddin, its joint secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and its international affairs secretary Majedur Rahman were also made accused in the same case.
Besides, M Mostafizur Rahman Dulal, a member of Dhaka Bar, filed another case against Tarique with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate M Yunus Khan for the same reason.
In Comilla, district Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra (a pro-Awami League sports organisation) president Sudhirnandi Babu filed a case against Tarique with the chief judicial magistrate court-1 .
The court ordered Tarique to appear before it on March 1, 2015.
In Chittagong, city unit Bangladesh Chhatra League (student front) general secretary Nurul Azim Ronny filed another defamation suit and a sedition case against him with the Chittagong metropolitan magistrate court.
Meaanwhile, defending Tarique Rahman’s assertion, BNP spokesman Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said their leader’s factual remarks have caused heartburn in the ruling party men who hardly care while making derogatory remarks against others.
Addressing a programme, he also hit back at the prime minister for calling Tarique a “spoiled son”, saying she and her party men should exercise restraint.
“Do you lose your sense when you (Awami League leaders) call independence proclaimer Ziaur Rahman and deputy chief of staff of the Bangladesh Armed Forces during the Liberation War AK Khandaker Razakars? Now you feel the heartburn after Tarique Rahman revealed the historical facts,” the BNP leader said.
Fakhrul, the BNP acting secretary general, was addressing a convention arranged by pro-BNP student leaders of Ducsu and All Party Students Unity (Apsu) of the 90s at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday advised BNP chief Khaleda Zia to ask her spoiled son to hold his tongue.
Without mentioning Tarique’s name, Hasina said people across the world, let alone Bangladesh, will not believe what he is saying.