DHAKA: The High Court (HC) on Wednesday banned broadcasting and publishing speeches of BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman in all print and electronic media of the country as he remains fugitive in eyes of the law.

A HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Haque and Justice Abu Taher M Saifur Rahman passed the interim order after hearing on a writ petition on the matter.

The Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Home Affairs were asked to take necessary actions regarding the matter.
The court also asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to report on the issues of Tarique’s passport renewal and present whereabouts of him within a month.

The court also issued a rule asking why the information secretary should not be directed to ban broadcasting and publishing Tarique's speeches.

Earlier on Tuesday, Supreme Court lawyer Nasrin Siddique Lina filed a writ petition seeking its directive to media of the country not to broadcast or publish any speech of Tarique.

In the writ, Tarique along with the secretaries of Ministry of Information, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Director General (DG) of Bangladesh Television (BTV), Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), editor of Bengali news paper Kaler Kantho, Bdnews24.com, and Janakantha and chief news editor of private satellite channel Ekushey Television (ETV) were made defendants.

Petitioner Nasrin told banglanews: “The media cannot broadcast or publish any speech of a fugitive person. So, I filed the writ petition seeking HC’s directive in this regards.”

Being a fugitive accused, Tarique had been making derogatory comments about Father of The Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, “violating the constitution”.

Lawmaker Advocate Sanzida Khanom moved for the petitioner during hearing in the court.

BDST: 1149 HRS, JAN 07, 2015

** Writ filed not to broadcast Tarique’s speech