Libel plea against Khaleda rejected

A Dhaka court has scrapped a libel petition filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on charges of "distorting the history of Liberation War" by saying that her husband Ziaur Rahman was "Bangladesh’s first President". Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Shamsul Arefin issued the order after a hearing on Monday. The Magistrate said the petition lacked substantial elements and could not therefore be accepted as a case. Earlier in the day, ‘Jononetri Parishad’ chief AB Siddiqui filed the complaint with Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court. Siddiqui said he had taken Khaleda to court because he felt the BNP chief’s claim had ‘distorted history and defamed’ Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He expressed the hope that the court would accept his petition. At a programme in London last week, Khaleda Zia's elder son and BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman claimed his father was Bangladesh’s first president. A day later, the BNP chief backed her son’s claims, according to bdnews24.com.