Sedition case: Arrest warrants for Tarique Rahman, two journalists

A Dhaka court on Monday ordered to issue arrest warrants for Bangladesh Nationalist Party senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman, and two former journalists of private television channel ETV, in a sedition case.

The judge of metropolitan sessions judge’s court, Kamrul Hossain Mollah, passed the order after taking the charge sheet into its cognizance today.

The case has been shifted to the court for trial after investigation report was submitted to the metropolitan magistrate court earlier.

The arrest warrants were issued for journalists Mahathir Farooki Parash and Kanak Sarwar.

On September 6, 2016, Detective Branch of police inspector Emdadul Haque submitted the charge sheet against Tarique Rahman, Ekushey Television former chairman Abdus Salam, its chief reporter Mahathir Farooki Parash, and editor Kanak Sarwar with the court of metropolitan magistrate Asaduzzaman Noor.

According to the case statement, on January 5, 2015, Tarique Rahman at a programme in London said Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s founding president, was not Bangabandhu (friend of Bangladesh) rather Pakbandhu (friend of Pakistan) as he came back to Bangladesh with Pakistani passport.

ETV had telecast the programme live in Bangladesh.

On January 5, 2015, the Detective Branch of police arrested Abdus Salam at his office. Later, he was shown arrest in a pornography case filed with Cantonment police station and sent to jail on January 6.

On January 8, 2015, Tejgaon police sub-inspector Borhan Uddin had filed the sedition case against Tarique and three others accusing the speech of Tarique and its telecast a threat to the sovereignty of the country.

The High Court on January 7, 2015, asked the government to ensure that no print and electronic media, online post and even social media publishes any statement of Tarique Rahman, also the eldest son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, as he is wanted in several defamation and criminal cases.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net