DHAKA:   A Dhaka court issued arrest warrant against BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman for making derogatory remarks against Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.   

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate court’s judge Ataul Haque passed the order on Wednesday.

Assistant Secretary of Awami League (AL) Central Sub-Committee Monir Khan filed the defamation case against Tarique on November 17.

On that day, Metropolitan Magistrate Rezaul Karim summoned Tarique Rahman asking him to appear before the court by Wednesday (December 10) on charges of maligning Sheikh Mujib.

However, the arrest warrant has been issued as he did not follow the court order.

Earlier, the complaint stated that Tarique had made derogatory remarks about Bangladesh’s founding president, also father of the nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at a discussion in East London on November 7.

“Sheikh Mujib returned to Bangladesh with a Pakistani passport 25 days after independence and took oath as a Pakistan national,” Tarique said in his speech.

The plaintiff AL leader Monir Khan said, “The derogatory statement maligned Bangabandhu name and the image of our party [the Awami League] so much that it cannot be regained with even Tk 100-crore in damages.”

BDST: 1437 HRS, DEC 10, 2014