Dhaka: A Dhaka Court issued an arrest warrant for Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia in a case filed against her on charge of celebrating ‘fake’ birthday on the National Mourning Day on 15 August.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mazharul Islam on Thursday delivered the arrest warrant.

The court also ordered the Gulshan Police Officer-in-charge to submit a report in this regard by 2 March, 2017.

Earlier on 30 August, court summoned Khaleda Zia in the case filed for celebrating her fake birthday on 15 August and asked the BNP chief to appear in person before it on 17 October.

Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) former joint general secretary Gazi Jahirul Islam filed the case with the CMM court accusing Khaleda of provoking people by celebrating her false birthday on 15 August.

In his complaint, Jahirul Islam said Khaleda’s date of birth was mentioned 5 August 1946 in her latest issued passport while 9 August 1944 in her marriage registration and 5 September 1946, in her (unsuccessful) SSC mark sheet. He also said a biography of Khaleda Zia was published in the Dainik Banglar Bani newspaper in 1991 where her birth date was mentioned 17 August 1945.

The plaintiff also said the 15th August was declared National Mourning Day in 1996 and Khaleda had started celebrating her birthday on that day by cutting cakes since then just to undermine Bangabandhu and hurt his family she selected this date for celebrating her fake birthday which is provocative, defamatory, disturbing and against the law of the land.

Though Khaleda Zia had long been celebrating her birthday on 15 August by cutting big cakes, she refrained from doing it in 2016. The party only arranged a prayer and millad mahfil on the occasion.

BNP leaders said Khaleda Zia decided not to cut any cake as the country was in a serious crisis and many flood victims were going through immense sufferings.