Legal notice served on Nahid over remarks against PM

A Supreme Court lawyer has served a legal notice on National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam, demanding that he retract his remarks accusing BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman of returning to the country to engage in extortion and looting.

The notice, sent by lawyer Md Habibur Rahman on Thursday, asked Nahid to withdraw his remarks, issue a public apology and submit a written response within 10 days of receiving the notice, failing which legal action would be initiated.

According to the notice, Nahid made the remarks on the evening of October 30 during interviews broadcast on Channel One and Channel i.

"Tarique Rahman has come here to engage in extortion and looting. He has no plan for governing the country," Nahid was quoted as saying.

In the legal notice, Habibur Rahman described the remarks as "malicious, fabricated and unsupported by concrete evidence." He claimed that their repeated broadcast as headlines had damaged Tarique Rahman's reputation and caused him embarrassment and distress.

The lawyer argued that making such allegations against a political opponent without substantiated evidence was unacceptable, particularly from someone holding the positions of NCP convener and Opposition Chief Whip.

The notice also questioned Nahid's political judgement, describing the comments as inappropriate for someone holding such significant public and political responsibilities. It called on him to apologise to the nation for his remarks.