Insulting journalist over published report: HC blasts Teknaf UNO

The High Court today (July 24, 2022) slammed Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Kaisar Khasru for allegedly insulting a journalist with objectionable words over a story mentioning his (UNO) comments on damages to several houses gifted by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to underprivileged people.

"The words reportedly used by Teknaf UNO are objectionable, unfortunate and unacceptable. If this is accurate, his language is worse than that of a mastan (thug). Only a wrong-headed person would use such derogatory language. The UNO should have used better terms being a government official," the HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat observed.

The bench made the observation after Supreme Court lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan placed reports published on July 22 by Prothom Alo and online news portal Dhaka Post on UNO Kaisar Khasru's expressing regret for scolding Dhaka Post correspondent Saidul Farhad, who made the report on July 21 under the headline "Neechu Jaigay Nirman Kora Upharer Ghor Panite Bhaschhe".

At the time the HC bench said journalists are the mirrors of society, and the media represents the state's fourth pillar.

If a journalist commits an error, complaints can be submitted to the Bangladesh Press Council or the court, the bench stated.

According to Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik, UNO Kaisar has expressed regret for his behaviour with the journalist.

"I will now talk to the Cox's Bazar deputy commissioner to know whether any step has been taken against the UNO and will convey the High Court about it," he added.