A magistrate’s court in Sirajganj has issued an arrest warrant against Kushtia-3 Member of Parliament Mufti Amir Hamza in a defamation case arising from alleged remarks about a senior political figure. The order was passed on Tuesday (21 April) by Magistrate Suman Karmakar of the Chowhali Amli Court.
The complainant, Advocate Humayun Kabir Colonel—General Secretary of the Sirajganj District Bar Association—confirmed the development. He stated that the case was filed under the instruction of the district unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), alleging that Amir Hamza made derogatory comments about BNP leader Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, a notable political figure from Sirajganj.
According to the complainant, the court had earlier issued a summons directing the accused to appear on 2 April. Despite receiving the summons and the matter attracting attention nationwide, Amir Hamza did not appear before the court on the specified date. In light of his absence, the court issued an arrest warrant.
During the hearing, Advocate Humayun Kabir submitted that the accused had failed to comply with a lawful court order and argued that such non-compliance justified further legal action. The court also raised the issue of whether a sitting Member of Parliament could be arrested while Parliament is in session. In response, the complainant explained that while prior approval from the Speaker is required for the arrest of a serving MP, there is no legal bar to the issuance of an arrest warrant.
He further indicated that the warrant would remain valid and that law enforcement agencies would determine how to execute it in accordance with legal procedures, including compliance with parliamentary rules where applicable.
The case stems from remarks reportedly made by Amir Hamza on 26 March at a public event, in which he allegedly described State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku as an atheist and anti-Islamic. It has also been alleged that the MP has made similar objectionable statements on previous occasions.
Following the incident, Advocate Humayun Kabir—who also serves as an Additional Public Prosecutor at the Sirajganj District Judge Court—filed a defamation case against the MP. The court subsequently issued a summons on 2 April.
As the accused failed to comply with the summons, the court proceeded to issue the arrest warrant on 21 April. Available information indicates that this is the first instance in which an arrest warrant has been issued against a member of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad.
Mufti Amir Hamza was elected as the Member of Parliament from Kushtia-3 (Sadar) constituency in the most recent parliamentary election as a candidate nominated by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
Key Case Information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Accused | Mufti Amir Hamza, MP (Kushtia-3) |
| Court | Chowhali Amli Court, Sirajganj |
| Judge | Suman Karmakar |
| Complainant | Advocate Humayun Kabir Colonel |
| Allegation | Defamation concerning remarks about Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku |
| Date of Incident | 26 March |
| Summons Issued | 2 April |
| Arrest Warrant Issued | 21 April |
| Cause | Failure to appear before the court |