Khaleda asked to explain over remarks on ‘71 martyrs

A court in Dhaka asked the chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Khaleda Zia to appear before it on April 10 in a sedition case to explain her remarks about the numbers of 1971 martyrs.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Zakir Hossain Tipu on Thursday passed the order after hearing a time petition filed by Khaleda’s lawyer Sanaullah Miah for her illness.

Earlier, Salauddin Hawladar, a lawyer of the plaintiff Momtaz Uddin Ahmed Mehedi, filed a petition for issuing warrant for the arrest of Khaleda Zia in the case.

On December 21 last, Khaleda Zia at a discussion at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh raised questions about the actual number of Liberation War martyrs saying, ‘There’re controversies over how many were martyred in the Liberation War.

There’re also many books and documents on the controversies.’ Her remarks triggered widespread criticisms.