MANIKGANJ: The district court directed police to take fit legal measures against senior BNP leaders barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia and Shah Moazzem Hossain as an Awami League man sued them on charge of death threats to premier Sheikh Hasina.

Judge of the district court Hakim Akteruzzaman Bhuiyan on Thursday morning issued the order. Awami League General Secretary of Singair upazila Abdul Mazed filed the case on July 27.

Complainant’s lawyer advocate Shakhawat Hossain told journalists, “The officer-in-charge of Singair police station now can arrest the accused.”

On the other hand, BNP-supported lawyer Jamilur Rashid Khan told banglanews24.com.bd, “The case was filed just to harass the disputants. It is baseless.”

The pleader adds: “If the situation prevails like this, none can speak even in a public meeting. The court has given the order being influenced by masterminds.”
He hit back at the ruling party’s local leader, saying: “The complainant himself is an accused of a murder case. He rather insulted the Prime Minister by filing such a case.”  

The case statement states that at a rally held at Muktangan on July 25, barrister Rafiq, BNP’s standing committee member, addressing Sheikh Hasina, said: ‘You may meet the same fate as did your father’.

Once a veteran Awami Leaguer, Shah Moazzem, now senior vice-chairman of BNP, was quoted as saying:  ‘Your father departed as per Allah’s will, for establishing one-party rule. Think about your father’s tragic end!’
The complainant saw such news in the Bangla daily Janakantha the following day, says the case statement.

 He said, “The accused are intriguing with an organized network to kill the daughter of the father of the Nation, Shiekh Hasina.”

Editor of the Janakantha Atikullah Khan Masud, Advisory Editor Toab Khan, Executive Editor Swadesh Roy and the reporter of the news were made witnesses in the case.

BDST: 02:00 HRS, JULY 29, 2010.