Court orders probe on Khaleda

A Dhaka court has ordered police to investigate allegations that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has hurt religious sentiments and incited communal hatred through her remarks. The charges were brought by AB Siddiqui, president of the ruling party’s affiliate ‘Jananetri Parisad’, in a case filed with Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court, Dhaka, on Tuesday. Metropolitan Magistrate Mostafizur Rahman heard the plaintiff and ordered Shahbagh Police Station to investigate and file a report by Nov 19 after obtaining necessary permissions from the government. Lawyer Roushan Ara Daisy stood for the plaintiff at the court. The case details say the BNP chief made ‘insulting remarks’ against Awami League while addressing a ‘Shubho Bijaya’ reception hosted on the occasion of Durga Puja at Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, on Oct 14. ‘Awami League hurts all and takes over religious institutions while claiming to be secular. They are only wearing a mask. No one, irrespective of their religion, is safe from this coercive government,’ the case details quoted Khaleda as saying. Four witnesses have been named in the case registered under sections 153 (A) and 295 (A) of Bangladesh Penal Code, according to a news agency.