Bogra DC's move to sue 2 more journos, a school managing committee member

Bogra Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md Iftekharul Islam Khan has sent a letter to Dupchanchia Police Station asking them to file cases against two journalists and a member of a school managing committee allegedly to retaliate publication of a news item.

In the letter, police has been asked to file cases against Motiul Islam Nion, Bogra Correspondent of Dainik Sangbad, Ashraful Islam Ratan, Bureau chief of the Destiny, and Syed Khijir Hayat, a member of the managing committee of Dupchanchia Government Model Primary School.

"The matter will be investigated first as the superintendent of police has asked us not to file the cases before investigation and without his permission," Dupchanchia Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ruhul Amin told journalists over cell phone yesterday.

As journalists inquired into the matter of the DC's order to file cases against journalists, it was found that he recently went to visit a class of Dupchanchia Government Model Primary School and became excited to see a 'spelling mistake' in a book.

The DC threw the book in front of the students, much to the dissatisfaction of the teachers, students and guardians.

As news on the incident was published in daily Sangbad and the Destiny and Syed Khijir Hayat had confirmed the incident to journalists, the DC got angry and asked police to file cases against the two journalists and the school managing committee member for publishing 'false news', sources said.

Earlier the same DC got four cases filed with Sadar Police Station by his hired men against a few people including The Daily Star correspondent Hasibur Rahman Bilu.

Police also arrested Bilu in connection with one of the cases. He was, however, released within a short time.

After the incident, Bogra Sadar Police Station OC Jahangir Hossain told journalists that he had accepted the four cases and arrested The Daily Star correspondent under pressure from the DC and the Sadar upazila nirbahi officer.

That time DC Iftekharul Islam Khan had become angry as The Daily Star published a news item about his ordering school teachers to buy six books written by him at a cost of Tk 1125 and subsequent stopping of salary payment to the teachers for not complying with the order.