Sedition case filed against former Bangladesh minister

DHAKA, 10 April — Dr. Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, a former bureaucrat-turned-politician and six others will now face sedition charge for violating service rules and setting up People's Platform (Janatar Manch) to dislodge a legally constituted government in 1996.

Others against whom a sedition case was filed yesterday are: Safiur Rahman, an election commissioner; Sirajuddin Ahmed, a member of Public Service Commission; Rabiul Alam Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, former aide of former Prime Minister Hasina Wajed; Abu Alam Shahid Khan, former director at the Prime Minister's office; Syed Bazlul Karim, who has been retired as an assistant inspector general of police; and Syed Muhiuddin, a former president of the Government Employees Coordination Council.

Safiur Rahman and Sirajuddin Ahmed are now holding constitutional posts.

"A government servant charged with sedition is placed under suspension pending disposal of the case. But, it is not clear about those holding constitutional posts," legal experts said. A metropolitan magistrate in whose court the petition case was filed directed police start investigation.

If convicted, an accused will get a maximum sentence of life imprisonment to a minimum of three years in prison or fine or both.

Of the accused, Dr. Alamgir, a former minister of state in Awami League government, is already in custody. He was arrested last month on his return from abroad.

A group of ambitious senior bureaucrats, with the help of Awami League, then in the opposition, grossly violated the government service rules when they set up the so-called People's Platform in front of the National Press Club and expressed solidarity with the anti-establishment movement.

The Platform is believed to have hastened the abrupt end of the BNP's second term in office after the Feb. 15 election in 1996. The election was boycotted by the main opposition political parties to press their demand for election under a non-party caretaker government.

Meanwhile, the minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs, Maudud Ahmed, yesterday filed a defamation suit against Awami League General Secretary Zillur Rahman.

Mauded sought 100 million Taka in damages for remarks about the bail of some accused in a criminal case.

Rahman, commenting on a criminal case in which Maudud was once connected as a counsel, alleged that Maudud had cheated the court by producing a false medical certificate in favor of the accused persons.

For that, Rahman said, Mauded should resign from the court.

Maudud, who filed the case with the Joint District Judge's court, complained that his reputation and high social standing had been tarnished by Rahman's statement that was carried out by the media both at home and abroad.

"The statement is not only factually wrong but also baseless and extremely defamatory in nature," Maudud said. He also said that he had served legal notice on Zillur for unconditional apology but the defendant did not reply.

The court issued a summons on the Awami League leader to appear in court on May 8.