File photo.
Court reporter //

A DNA test taken from the grave to determine the identity of BNP leader Abul Haris Chowdhury has matched that of his family. Now, Haris Chowdhury’s body can be buried in the cemetery of the family’s choice.

A High Court bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Mubina Asaf issued this order on Wednesday after submitting a report in this regard.

Earlier, on September 5, after hearing a writ petition filed by his daughter Barrister Samira Tanzin, the High Court bench ordered a DNA test to be taken from the grave to determine the identity of Abul Haris Chowdhury.

In 2021, media reports said that on September 4 of that year, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s political secretary and former BNP leader Abul Haris Chowdhury was buried in a madrasa graveyard in the Jalalabad area of ​​​​Savar, Dhaka, under the name ‘Mahmudur Rahman’.

Harish Chowdhury’s daughter said that the recently departed dictatorial government has created a drama with their intelligence department questioning his father’s death.

I have filed this writ to determine that there will never be a question about this. As a child, it is very tragic and painful that there will be doubts about my father’s death. People still ask if he is really dead! We are being harassed. So I have approached the court to end this. The court did not disappoint.

A rule has been issued asking why a DNA test should not be ordered to be done to determine his identity, and why a death certificate should not be issued in the name of Abul Harish Chowdhury after the DNA test report comes positive, why the Interpol Red Notice in his name should not be withdrawn, and why the brave freedom fighter should not be buried in his own district with due respect according to his last wishes.

The Home Secretary, Local Government Secretary, Registrar General (Birth and Death), Director of CID, Superintendent of Police of Dhaka District and OC of Savar Model Police Station have been asked to respond to the rule.