Tarique, ETV chair charge sheeted in sedition case

The Detectives Branch (DB) police on Tuesday submitted a charge sheet against BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman, ETV chairman Abdus Salam and two reporters of the private TV channel in a sedition case.
DB Inspector Emdadul Haque, also the Investigation Officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court.
Two other accused are the then chief reporter of the TV channel Mahathir Faruqui Khan, and special correspondent Kanak Sarwar.
The IO submitted the charge sheet against Tarique and three others under Section 124(A) of Bangladesh Penal Code and Section 3 of the Police Incitement and Disaffection Act 1922.
The IO made a plea in the charge sheet to issue arrest warrant against Tarique Rahman and Mahathir Faruqui Khan, Sub Inspector Tahera Banu, Tejgaon Zone General recording Officer, told The Daily Observer.
Accused Kanak Sarwar obtained bail from the High Court immediately after filing of the case while Abdus Salam is now in jail.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court fixed September 29 to decide whether the charge sheet will be accepted or not.
Sub-Inspector Borhanuddin filed the sedition case with Tejgaon Police Station on January 8, 2015, after the ETV had telecast live Tarique's speech from London on January 5.
 According to the charge sheet, the speech threatened the country's sovereignty and created hatred against a lawfully established government and uttered false and fabricated information.
He also tried to create a rift in the judiciary, the army, the border guards and police. His speech was telecast live on Ekushey Television (ETV), which is owned by Abdus Salam.
Salam, was arrested by the detectives on January 6 this year in  connection with a case filed with the Cantonment Police Station under the Pornography Act 2012 for broadcasting a false report about a girl in a programme named 'Ekusher Chokh' two months before his arrest.
Tarique has been in London since September 11, 2008 on medical grounds after securing parole in various cases.  More than one hundred cases against Tarique, including the grisly August 21 grenade attack case, were pending with several courts.