B’desh court issues search warrants for Zia’s office

A Bangladeshi court on Sunday issued a warrant to carry out search at the office of ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia here to look for wanted fugitives and explosives in connection with the attack on the rally of a senior ruling party leader.

“We have obtained the court warrant to search her (Zia’s) Gulshan office,” a police spokesman told reporters. He said police had sought the order as part of investigations on an attack on a rally of Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan last month by suspected BNP activist during a nationwide blockade since January 6 sparking massive violence that has claimed over 110 lives so far. “In our petition to the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court we said we need to search her office as the fugitive suspects could have taken refuge inside and also could have stored there huge quantum of explosives,” the spokesman said.

At least 11 people were wounded as suspected opposition activists attacked the rally led by Khan near Zia’s office, protesting against the BNP’s violent campaign.

The development came four days after another court ordered arrest of the ex-premier, rejecting her existing bail in connection with two graft cases as she repeatedly failed to appear for the hearings.