'Fake' Birthday: Arrest warrant against Khaleda

A Dhaka court yesterday issued an arrest warrant against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in a case filed against her for celebrating a "fake and false birthday" on August 15.

The nation observes August 15 as National Mourning Day, marking the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of his family members in 1975.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mazharul Islam passed the order after the complainant submitted a petition before it for issuing an arrest warrant against Khaleda Zia.

Earlier, Khaleda did not appear before the court even though three dates of hearings in the case have passed.

On August 30, Gazi Zahirul Islam, former joint general secretary of Dhaka Union of Journalists, filed the case against Khaleda, who is accused in 18 other cases, for allegedly celebrating a fake and false birthday on August 15 each year.

After the hearing on the same day, the court asked Khaleda to appear before it on October 17. Nevertheless, she did not appear before it after receiving the summons.

The complainant mentioned in the complaint that Khaleda's actual date of birth was not August 15, but she celebrates her birthday on that date every year to undermine and dishonour Bangabandhu.

He also submitted copies of Khaleda's passport, marriage certificate and high school mark sheets as well as a 1991 news report on her biography run by national daily Dainik Bangla.

The former premier has been celebrating her birthday by cutting a cake at her Minto Road residence since 1996, when she stepped down from power.

Over the past couple of years, she has been continuing this practice in the early hours at her Gulshan office.

Hours after the court order, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said the arrest warrant against Khaleda was issued to divert people's attention from the recent attacks on Hindus and Santals.

The government is facing huge criticism as the ruling party men were found involved in those atrocities. The arrest warrant is the government's conspiracy to suppress the mounting criticism against the government, Fakhrul said.

Fakhrul also said the filing of the case and the issuing of the arrest warrant against Khaleda was done as per the government's instruction.

Meanwhile, Jubo Dal yesterday announced a protest programme for today in all districts and cities to protest the issuing of the arrest warrant against the BNP chief.