A Dhaka court yesterday summoned BNP senior leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy to appear before it on March 16 in the case filed for his derogatory comments on the Liberation War martyrs.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Nuru Miah passed the order after Abul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Shahbagh Police Station, submitted a probe report yesterday, saying the comments about the Liberation War martyrs were found to be true.

Kalam, also investigation officer of the case, appealed to the court to take a legal action against Gayeshwar on receiving the probe report.    

Earlier on January 21, Monindra Kumar Nath, the son of martyr Dinesh Chandra Nath, lodged the case. Dinesh was killed by local collaborators at Noakhali's Maizdi in mid-September of 1971.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Aminul Haque directed officer-in-charge (investigation) of Shahbagh Police Station to submit the probe report to the court on February 18.

At a programme on December 25 last year, Gayeshwar said the 1971 martyred intellectuals were "anti-liberation elements" who "died like fools" and drew salaries and allowances from Pakistan till the end of the war.

Different newspapers published his comments, which are disparaging to the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for liberating the country, said the complainant.