SQ Chy secures bail in defamation suit
Friday, 18 September 2009
Opposition BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury has secured anticipatory bail from the High Court (HC) in a defamation suit, reports bdnews24.com.
The vacation bench of justices AFM Abdur Rahman and Mohammad Rezaul Hassan made the order Thursday after the BNP leader filed a petition for anticipatory bail to avoid arrest in the case.
It asked the government to explain why he should not be granted regular bail in the case.
A Tangail court on September 10 issued an arrest warrant against the senior BNP leader on charges that he had made derogatory comments on August 15 -- the National Mourning Day.
The BNP leader in a discussion at National Press Club on August 13 said that the August 15 incident, which saw independence architect Sheikh Mujibur Rahman assassinated with much of his family, was inevitable.
Chowdhury told journalists after the ruling that he did not comment to dishonour Sheikh Mujib, also the country's first President.
"I did not say anything about uncle (Mujib). I only talked about the transformation to a multi-party democracy from one-party democracy."
Tangail Jubo League vice president Abdur Rahim filed the defamation suit on August 19.
Chowdhury also faces similar charges in Magura, Khulna and Narail courts.
Shah Manjurul Haque, his lawyer, told the court at the hearing that the case was filed on political consideration.
Chowdhury, also faces allegation of committing crimes during the nation's War of Independence from Pakistan in 1971.
State Minister for Law Kamrul Islam recently said Chowdhury would be tried on charges of war crimes although the BNP leader has been refusing the allegations.
The same HC bench also ordered authorities not to arrest or harass former state minister for land and BNP leader Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu in three extortion cases.
The vacation bench of justices AFM Abdur Rahman and Mohammad Rezaul Hassan made the order Thursday after the BNP leader filed a petition for anticipatory bail to avoid arrest in the case.
It asked the government to explain why he should not be granted regular bail in the case.
A Tangail court on September 10 issued an arrest warrant against the senior BNP leader on charges that he had made derogatory comments on August 15 -- the National Mourning Day.
The BNP leader in a discussion at National Press Club on August 13 said that the August 15 incident, which saw independence architect Sheikh Mujibur Rahman assassinated with much of his family, was inevitable.
Chowdhury told journalists after the ruling that he did not comment to dishonour Sheikh Mujib, also the country's first President.
"I did not say anything about uncle (Mujib). I only talked about the transformation to a multi-party democracy from one-party democracy."
Tangail Jubo League vice president Abdur Rahim filed the defamation suit on August 19.
Chowdhury also faces similar charges in Magura, Khulna and Narail courts.
Shah Manjurul Haque, his lawyer, told the court at the hearing that the case was filed on political consideration.
Chowdhury, also faces allegation of committing crimes during the nation's War of Independence from Pakistan in 1971.
State Minister for Law Kamrul Islam recently said Chowdhury would be tried on charges of war crimes although the BNP leader has been refusing the allegations.
The same HC bench also ordered authorities not to arrest or harass former state minister for land and BNP leader Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu in three extortion cases.