Court bins case against Star reporter

Finding no cogent grounds, a Bandarban court on Tuesday summarily dismissed a case filed under the Digital Security Act against The Daily Star correspondent in the district.

The case was filed against Sanjoy Kumar Barua for using the word indigenous in a report published on July 28.

“The Bangladesh government discouraged the use of the word adivasi… But it didn’t discourage using indigenous, and its meaning is not advasi in Bangla,” Senior Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Hasan said in his order.

Therefore, it is not evident that the accused committed any offence by using the word indigenous in his report, the order added.    

In his complaint, Mohammad Ibrahim alleged that Sanjoy’s report -- three indigenous villages face land grabbing -- destroyed peace in the Chattogram Hill Tracts.

The court observed that the reporter had not made any mistake by using the word.

On August 19, ward-2 Councillor Masum Rana in Khagrachhari filed another case against Sanjoy making the same complaints.

A court in the district directed the Police Bureau of Investigation of Chattogram to investigate the matter.