12 more defamation suits filed against Star editor

Twelve more lawsuits were filed against The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam yesterday in Dhaka and eight other districts for publishing reports based on information supplied by Task Force Intelligence Cell (TFIC) during the last caretaker government's tenure in 2007-08.

Besides, another complainant appealed to a Jamalpur court to bring sedition charges against Mahfuz Anam.

The complainants in four of the 12 cases also demanded compensation ranging from Tk 5 crore to Tk 10,000 crore.

A Sylhet court with which two defamation cases were filed summoned The Daily Star editor to appear before it on March 30, while two courts in Khulna and Patuakhali summoned him on March 29 and April 5.

With the 12 cases, a total of 16 lawsuits have so far been filed against Mahfuz Anam. Local BCL leaders filed two defamation cases in Laxmipur and Khulna on February 9 and two more in Gopalganj and Cox's Bazar a couple of days later.

On February 11, Mostafizur Rahman Dulal, assistant public prosecutor of Dhaka Special Judge's Court-9, placed an application before a Dhaka court for filing a sedition case against The Daily Star editor. The court later ordered police to seek government's permission for investigating the charge.

For the first time, the court yesterday summoned Mahfuz Anam in connection with the defamation suits. In some cases, the courts asked the complainants to submit documents in support of their allegations.

At a talk show on a private TV channel on February 3, Mahfuz Anam made an introspective comment about a lapse in his editorial judgement in publishing a few reports that the newspaper could not independently verify during the last caretaker government's tenure.

DHAKA

The organising secretary of Bangladesh Projonmo League's central committee filed a libel case with the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Pranab Kumar Hui in Dhaka, claiming Tk 10,000 crore in compensation for publishing unverified news “against Awami League President Sheikh Hasina during the 2007-08 tenure of the caretaker government”.

After the hearing, the court ordered the officer-in-charge of Mugda Police Station to investigate the matter and take necessary steps.

JAMALPUR

Advocate Jamal Abdun Naser, general secretary of the district lawyers' association, filed a case with the court of senior judicial magistrate (cognisance), seeking to bring sedition charges against The Daily Star editor for publishing unverified reports on Hasina in 2007.

The editor proved himself as an anti-state individual through his recent statement on the issue in a TV talk show, said the plaintiff.

Senior Judicial Magistrate AKM Moyeen Uddin Siddiki took the plea into cognisance and directed the officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station to seek permission from the government for investigating the charge.

SYLHET

Sylhet city BCL unit President Abdul Basit Rumman and its ex-president Rahat Tarafder filed two defamation cases with the Court of Sylhet Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Saifuzzaman.

They alleged that The Daily Star reports on June 2, 3, 13 and 14 in 2007 tarnished the image of their leader Sheikh Hasina, and demanded Tk 100 crore in compensation in each case, said Additional Public Prosecutor Humayun Kabir.

The court took the cases into cognisance and summoned The Daily Star editor.

PATUAKHALI

Uzzal Kumar Basu, secretary of the district unit of Awami Swechchhasebak League, filed a defamation case with the court of Senior Judicial Magistrate SM Tareq Shams, seeking Tk 5 crore in compensation.

Upon receiving the complaint, the court issued a summons on Anam, asking him to appear before it on April 5, according to court source.

NETRAKONA

GM Khan Pathan, public prosecutor and general secretary of Sadar upazila AL unit, filed a defamation case against Mahfuz Anam with the additional chief judicial magistrate's court.

After recording the plaintiff's statement, the court ordered the OC of Netrakona Model Police Station to probe the allegation.

RANGAMATI

Nasir Uddin, president of Kaptai upazila unit of Jubo League, filed a defamation case against The Daily Star editor with the Chief Judicial Magistrate (cognisance).

Magistrate Shams Uddin Khaled ordered the OC of Rangamati Kotwali Police Station to investigate the matter and submit a report by March 31. 

DINAJPUR

Advocate Samsur Rahman Parvez, law affairs secretary of Khansama upazila AL unit, filed a defamation case with the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court.

The court recorded the compliant.

KHULNA

Khulna district unit BCL Joint Secretary Parvez Howlader and its Office Secretary Taslim Hossain Taj filed two defamation cases with two Khulna courts.

One of the two courts asked police to probe the case, and set March 28 for the next hearing, while the other summoned Mahfuz Anam to appear before it on March 29.

The cases were lodged around five days after another BCL leader in the district filed a defamation suit against The Daily Star editor.

SHARIATPUR

Ex-president of district unit BCL Nurul Amin Kotwal, organising secretary of Awami Muktijuddho Prajanma League Hasibul Islam and Jajira upazila unit BCL General Secretary Hanif Mia filed three defamation suits with the chief judicial magistrate's court against The Daily Star editor.