A Dhaka court yesterday withdrew the arrest warrant against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman, a day after it was issued in an extortion case.

Arrest warrants against Tarique's business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun and four others were also withdrawn in the same case.

Metropolitan Magistrate Mehedi Hassan Talukder, who had issued the warrants on Monday, passed the order after counsels for one of the accused "Mota" Tareq appealed for the withdrawal.

The three whose arrest warrants were also withdrawn are Kamruzzaman, Mahbubul Alam and Obaidul Khondaker. Earlier they were granted bails from the High Court on different dates.

In their petition, the counsels said the High Court on July 23 last year had staved all the proceedings of the case for one year, but the order did not reach the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court. The counsels also submitted a certified copy of the order.

The court on Monday cancelled bails of Tarique, Mamun and four others and issued the arrest warrants against them as they breached the terms and conditions of bails granted from the High Court.

The joint forces arrested Tarique Rahman on March 7 in 2007 during emergency period of the last caretaker government while Mamun and others were arrested on different dates.

Tarique was released on parole in September 2008 for treatment abroad.