Bangladesh court orders arrest of ex-premier’s son

Bangladesh opposition leader and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia addresses a press conference in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, June 16, 2011. The opposition groups, led by Zia, accused the government of attempting to cling to power after its five-year term ends in 2014. The government wants to repeal a provision that requires it to hand over power at the end of its term to a nonpartisan caretaker administration to oversee elections. (AP Photo/Pavel Rahman)

DHAKA, Bangladesh — A court in Bangladesh has issued an arrest warrant for a son of ex-premier Khaleda Zia over a 2004 grenade attack that killed 24 people at an opposition rally.

Government attorney Abdullah Abu says the warrant against Tarique Rahman was issued Sunday after police charged him with masterminding the attack in central Dhaka. Zia was the prime minister when the attack occurred.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was then the main opposition politician, survived the attack. It happened just after she finished her speech.

Police investigators told Dhaka’s chief metropolitan magistrate Enamul Haq that Rahman planned the attack to eliminate political opponents. Rahman’s party denies the allegation.

Rahman has been living in London since 2008.