Khaleda Zia acquitted in five defamation cases
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has been acquitted in five defamation cases. Dhaka's Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court (CMM) passed this ruling today, Tuesday.
Masud Ahmed Talukdar, legal counsel to the BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukdar said a certain AB Siddique and a journalist filed five cases against Khaleda Zia a few years ago in order to harass her. The court has acquitted Khaleda Zia of those five defamation cases.
When asked about the acquittal, BNP's deputy legal affairs secretary and Khaleda Zia's lawyer Syed Zainul Abedin told Prothom Alo, a few years ago a certain AB Siddique filed four defamation cases against Khaleda Zia to humiliate her politically. Similarly, a journalist Gazi Zahirul Islam brought about defamation charges against Khaleda Zia. AB Siddique and journalist Zahirul Islam for long would not turn up at court on the day of the hearing. If the plaintiff does not turn up at court repeatedly on the assigned dates, the court can legally dismiss the case.
In keeping with the law, separate appeals had been filed on behalf of Khaleda Zia to be acquitted in these cases. The court has granted the appeals. In other words, Khaleda Zia has been acquitted by the court in these five cases.
President of the Jananetri Parishad, AB Siddique, on 3 November 2016 filed a defamation suit against Khaleda Zia in court.
It was alleged that she had appointed razakars and Al-Badr leaders and activists as ministers and MPs and placed Bangladesh's maps and flags in the homes and on their vehicles.
On 30 August 2016 Dhaka Union of Journalist's former joint general secretary Gazi Zahirul Islam lodged a case against Khaleda Zia accusing her of commemorating her fake birthday.
Jananetri Parishad president AB Siddique on 25 January 2017 filed against her, accusing her of ridiculing Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Awami League. She was also accused in a case on 31 December 2016 of ridiculing Bangabandhu and Awami League while addressing an event commemorating Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal's founding anniversary at the Engineering Institute in the capital.
AB Siddique filed a defamation suit against Khaleda Zia on 6 January 2016, accusing her of making a controversial statement about the number of martyrs in the liberation war and about the martyred intellectuals.