Approval to file sedition charges against Khaleda

The home ministry has given its approval to bring sedition charges against Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia for raising questions about the number of Liberation War martyrs.

Following a petition, the ministry gave its nod on Thursday, according to home ministry sources.

Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Saturday told Prothom Alo that taking the petition of former secretary of Supreme Court Bar Association Momtazuddin Ahmed Mehedi in cognizance, the ministry gave its go-ahead to lodge sedition charges against the BNP chief.

The petition which was placed with the home ministry says BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has begun a controversy on the number of Liberation War martyrs.

Moreover, she made derogatory remarks about the Father of the Nation and Awami League over the Liberation War.

These issues are established and constitutionally documented, and so, raising questions over the issues is synonymous to committing sedition offences, adds the petition.

Momtazuddin, earlier, sent a legal notice to BNP chief, asking her to apologise to the nation for her comment questioning the number of martyrs in the Liberation War.

Despite the fact, Khaleda did not apologise to the nation or withdraw her statement.

Momtazuddin said he has received the letter giving approval to lodge sedition charges against Khaleda. Copies of the letter have been sent to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the officer-in-charge of Shahbag police station.

BNP acting secretary general Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said this is a political and vindictive case.

Ruling party quarters have begun propagating this and misinterpreting a part of the BNP chairperson’s speech out of context. The BNP condemns this, Fakhrul added.

The chairperson does not need to learn how to show respect to the Liberation War, martyrs and freedom fighters. It is Khaleda Zia who formed Liberation War affairs ministry, he also added.

On 21 December, BNP chief Khaleda Zia said at a discussion in the city that there was a controversy over the actual number of martyrs during the country’s Liberation War.

“There's a lot of debate over the actual number of martyrs. It is said that a certain million [3 million] embraced martyrdom during the war. How many martyrs are there in reality?" said Khaleda.

In oblique reference to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the BNP leader said, “He didn’t want independence, he desired to be the prime minister of erstwhile Pakistan. The country would not have been liberated unless Ziaur Rahman proclaimed independence.”