Bangladesh PM sent legal notice for "defamatory statement"
2013-01-02 19:58:52
DHAKA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Deputy chief of Bangladesh's main opposition has served a legal notice on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asking her to withdraw her recent "defamatory statement" against him, a party spokesman said Wednesday.
Former Prime Minsiter Khalda Zia's Special Assistant Shimul Biswas told Xinhua, "a counsel for Tarique Rahman, senior vice chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), sent the notice to the Prime Minister Office (PMO) Wednesday on his behalf."
"The notice asked her (prime minister) to express her unqualified apology for her statement within 28 days," he said.
According to the notice, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also president of ruling Bangladesh Awami Leaguge (AL) party, at a public rally last month said Rahman made huge money through corruption and was leading a luxurious life in London with illegally earned property and assets.
"If she (Hasina) does not withdraw her statement and seek apology publicly, we'll go for legal action against her," Barrister Mahabub Uddin Khokon, counsel for Rahman, told Xinhua.
Khokon, also a Bangladesh Parliament member from BNP, said Rahman denied the allegations which were brought against him by prime minister during her Dec. 1 public rally address in the country's northeastern Sylhet region and called them "false and politically motivated."
"She brought the allegations to tarnish my image," Khokon also quoted Rahman as saying.
In the legal notice Rahman, who has been living in London for treatment since September 2008, also denied his involvement in committing any corruption.
A PMO official could not be reached immediately for comment.
Rahman, elder son of BNP chief Khaleda Zia, was arrested on March 7, 2007 on charges of corruption during the 2007-2008 military-controlled caretaker government. He went to London after his release on bail on September.
Khaleda, also chairperson of BNP, said political vendettas are to blame in both her sons' prosecutions during Hasina's incumbent government against which she has been leading the opposition procession from her party.
Last year her youngest son, Arafat Rahman, now in Thailand, was sentenced to jail for six years on a corruption and money laundering charge. Since the end of her tenure in 2006, her eldest son Rahman faced 14 cases on charges of corruption and extortion.
Since 1991, BNP and AL alternately ruled Bangladesh. Khaleda Zia was prime minister from 1991-1996 and from 2001-2006. Prior to this time, Hasina was also prime minister from 1996 to 2001.
Political arch-rivals Hasina and Khaleda in 2008 for the last time exchanged pleasantries and shook hands after over a decade. Except from once in the last four years, they neither met nor talked to each other though they attended the same program on many occasions.
Analysts here said say Bangladesh's political situation will likely to worsen in the coming months as distance between BNP and AL is being wider day by day over a number of issues including restoration of a non-party caretaker government system to hold next general elections slated for early 2014.
Bangladesh PM sent legal notice for "defamatory statement" - Xinhua | English.news.cn
2013-01-02 19:58:52
DHAKA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Deputy chief of Bangladesh's main opposition has served a legal notice on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asking her to withdraw her recent "defamatory statement" against him, a party spokesman said Wednesday.
Former Prime Minsiter Khalda Zia's Special Assistant Shimul Biswas told Xinhua, "a counsel for Tarique Rahman, senior vice chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), sent the notice to the Prime Minister Office (PMO) Wednesday on his behalf."
"The notice asked her (prime minister) to express her unqualified apology for her statement within 28 days," he said.
According to the notice, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also president of ruling Bangladesh Awami Leaguge (AL) party, at a public rally last month said Rahman made huge money through corruption and was leading a luxurious life in London with illegally earned property and assets.
"If she (Hasina) does not withdraw her statement and seek apology publicly, we'll go for legal action against her," Barrister Mahabub Uddin Khokon, counsel for Rahman, told Xinhua.
Khokon, also a Bangladesh Parliament member from BNP, said Rahman denied the allegations which were brought against him by prime minister during her Dec. 1 public rally address in the country's northeastern Sylhet region and called them "false and politically motivated."
"She brought the allegations to tarnish my image," Khokon also quoted Rahman as saying.
In the legal notice Rahman, who has been living in London for treatment since September 2008, also denied his involvement in committing any corruption.
A PMO official could not be reached immediately for comment.
Rahman, elder son of BNP chief Khaleda Zia, was arrested on March 7, 2007 on charges of corruption during the 2007-2008 military-controlled caretaker government. He went to London after his release on bail on September.
Khaleda, also chairperson of BNP, said political vendettas are to blame in both her sons' prosecutions during Hasina's incumbent government against which she has been leading the opposition procession from her party.
Last year her youngest son, Arafat Rahman, now in Thailand, was sentenced to jail for six years on a corruption and money laundering charge. Since the end of her tenure in 2006, her eldest son Rahman faced 14 cases on charges of corruption and extortion.
Since 1991, BNP and AL alternately ruled Bangladesh. Khaleda Zia was prime minister from 1991-1996 and from 2001-2006. Prior to this time, Hasina was also prime minister from 1996 to 2001.
Political arch-rivals Hasina and Khaleda in 2008 for the last time exchanged pleasantries and shook hands after over a decade. Except from once in the last four years, they neither met nor talked to each other though they attended the same program on many occasions.
Analysts here said say Bangladesh's political situation will likely to worsen in the coming months as distance between BNP and AL is being wider day by day over a number of issues including restoration of a non-party caretaker government system to hold next general elections slated for early 2014.
Bangladesh PM sent legal notice for "defamatory statement" - Xinhua | English.news.cn
