Three people, including BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son and party's Senior Vice-chairman Tarique Rahman, were sued yesterday for their alleged involvement with issuing a death threat to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and defaming Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman via Facebook posts.

Abdul Kader Sujan, information and research secretary of Awami League Chittagong district (South) unit, lodged the case with the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate ASM Shahidullah Kaisar under section-57 of the Information and Communication Technology (Amendment) Act-2013, said court sources.

Another accused in the case is Chowdhury Irad Ahmed Siddiqui, son of expelled BNP leader Chowdhury Tanbir Ahmed Siddiqui.

Complainant's lawyer Abul Hashem said the case was filed against the three by name while the people who liked the facebook posts were also sued. However, the number of unnamed accused who liked the posts was not mentioned.

In the case statement, the complainant mentioning him as a dedicated activist of the AL claimed that on directives from BNP chairperson and its senior vice-chairman, Irad threatened Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with life in a Facebook post on September 25.

On September 15, the accused also posted another status in Facebook, defaming Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, according to the statement.  

Mentioning Irad as a member of the BNP central executive committee in the case statement, Sujan said Irad could not alone make such kind of statements.  

"It is sure that as per the directives from BNP leader Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique, Irad made such kind of comments. That is why the two have also been accused in the case," said Sujan while talking to the media on the court premises.

According to BNP sources, Irad does not hold any post in the party.

Making such kind of remarks in Facebook, the accused are plotting to create an unstable situation in the country, the plaintiff also mentioned in the case statement.

The court took cognizance of the case and heard the complainant's statements. But the court still did not give any order on it, said Sujan's lawyer Hashem.