Dhaka: A supporter of ruling Awami League on Tuesday sued Bangladesh’s main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia for making “hateful and defamatory” remarks about the home district of her archrival Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
President of the pro-Awami League Bangladesh Jananetri Parishad A B Siddique filed a case with the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate court two days after an angry Zia said if returned to power, she would change the name of southwestern Gopalganj, Hasina’s hometown.
Magistrate Asaduzzaman Nur, however, is expected to pass an order later today if the opposition leader should be charged for her comments on December 29 when police barred her from coming out of her residence as the opposition tried to stage their “march for democracy” defying a government ban.
Zia harshly rebuked policewomen outside her residence at the upmarket Gulshan area and at one stage asked a female officer where she hailed from.
“Listen to me, you the woman, where you hail from? Are you a Gopali? (in an apparent reference to Hasina’s hometown Gopalganj),” she was heard saying even as the woman officer kept silent.
“The name of Gopalganj district will be changed… Gopalganj will cease to exist,” Zia said.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led 18-party alliance has been demanding Hasina’s resignation and scrapping of the January 5 polls.
The BNP has refused to field candidates, saying elections under Hasina will be rigged – an accusation the premier strongly rejects. (PTI)
