Bogra court scraps case against Ashraf

A Bogra court yesterday dismissed a defamation case against Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam for his "derogatory" remarks about US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Desai Biswal.

Jahangir Alam, a former leader of BNP-backed Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, had filed the case, saying Ashraf's comments had hurt him and the people of Bangladesh, and that it would damage the bilateral ties. He is a businessman of Bogra's Shariakandi upazila.

Recently, Ashraf called Biswal a "two-bit minister".

The court of Senior Judicial Magistrate-1 Abul Kalam Azad dismissed the lawsuit, four hours into its filing because it had no merit, said advocate Noresh Mukharjee, general secretary of Bogra district unit of Awami Ainjibi Parishad.