Kibria killing case: Arrest warrants for Harris, BNP mayors

A Habiganj court has issued warrants of arrest against 11 persons including Khaleda Zia's former political secretary Harris Chowdhury and Sylhet City Corporation's Mayor Ariful Haq Chowdhury, in the case over the murder of former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria. Investigation officer, Sylhet's ASP Meherun Nesa Parul, submitted a supplementary charge-sheet to the court on Sunday. Habiganj's Senior Judicial Magistrate Rashid Ahmed Miron accepted it and ordered arrest of the 11, including Sylhet mayor Ariful Haq Chowdhury and Habiganj mayor GK Gaus, whose names were added in the supplementary charge-sheet. Harris Chowdhury is already an accused in the August 21, 2004, grenade attack and Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust graft cases. He is on the run as the cases are in progress. Central BNP leader Ariful Haq is also a member of the party's Sylhet metropolitan unit convenor committee. He was elected mayor last year. Gaus is the general secretary of the BNP's Habiganj district unit. He is serving as Habiganj mayor for a 2nd consecutive term, according to a news agency.