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

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

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 25 January, Judge of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Rashed Talukdar summoned BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia to appear before it on March 3 in the sedition case after taking cognizance of the treason charge against the BNP chief under sections 123 (A), 124 (A) and 505 of Bangladesh Penal Code.

Supreme Court lawyer Momtaz Uddin Ahmed Mehedi, also a member of executive body of Bangladesh Awami League, filed the case with the court, urging it to issue a warrant for Khaleda’s arrest on 25 January.

On 21 December last year, 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.

Two days later on 23 December, lawyer Mehedi sent a legal notice to the BNP chairperson, asking her to apologise to the nation for her comments on the number of the Liberation War martyrs.

As the BNP chief did not respond to the notice, Mehedi sought the Home Ministry’s approval last week to lodge the case.