Dhaka: Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad got 35 more days to make submission in writing in a Tk 60-crore defamation suit filed against him for torturing his estranged wife Bidisha Siddique.

A Dhaka court Tuesday fixed June 30 as the latest date for submitting the statement.

Judge Imrul Kayes of the First Joint District Judge's Court passed the order in response to a petition filed by the former military ruler’s counsel.

Earlier on April 20 this year, the same court asked Ershad to submit his statement by May 25.

Bidisha filed the case on March 18 stating that Ershad tortured her at home and police tortured her in custody in connection with “false” cases filed by Ershad between 2005 and 2007.

In her plaint, Bidisha said she was arrested on June 4 in 2005 from her Baridhara residence after Ershad charged her with stealing a cell-phone set and embezzlement of around Tk 7.5 lakh.

“At the instruction of Ershad, the police tortured me in the name of interrogation under their custody,” said the embroiled woman.

Later police submitted final investigation report and the case was identified as a false one.

Mentioning that the ‘false’ case has defamed her both locally and internationally, the UK-returnee Bidisha demanded Tk 10 crore as damages for physical and mental harassment, Tk 22 crore for loss in business and Tk 28 crore for defaming her. The compensation claims come to Tk 60 crore in total.

BST 1650 HRS, May 25, 2010
MI/MMK/AHS/SMS/MUA