Vorer Pata editor, reporter sued

Editor of Bangla daily Vorer Pata Dr Kazi Ertaza Hasan, and its online desk in-charge and reporter Utpal Das were sued under the Digital Security Act in Dinajpur yesterday.

Taslim Uddin, organsing secretary of Dinajpur district unit of Swechhasebak League, an associate body of the ruling Awami League, filed the case with Dinajpur Sadar Police Station over publishing a report that tarnished the image of the ruling party, said Inspector Bazlur Rashid, acting officer-in-charge of the police station.

According to the FIR (first information report), the report was published in the Bangla daily’s digital platform on Monday. A copy of the report was also attached with the FIR.

It mentioned that a patrol team of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized 1,000 bottles of Phensedyl from an SUV while it was coming to the district town from Phulbari upazila on Saturday evening.

The report stated that the vehicle belonged to Imam Abu Zafar Razab, president of Dinajpur district unit of Sweschhasebak League.

Taslim Uddin, in the FIR, claimed that no such incident took place and the report was fabricated. It was published to tarnish the image of Awami League and portray the party and its leaders in a negative light.

Contacted, Razab echoed the same.

This newspaper tried to get in touch with Dinajpur superintendent of police, OC of Sadar Police Station and commanding officer of Dinajpur BGB for their comments, but they did not answer their phones.

Meanwhile, Utpal’s phone was found switched off and Vorer Pata’s Dinajpur correspondent said he did not know anything about the incident.

The report was removed from the newspaper’s website on Monday night, hours after it was uploaded.