Masud Rana Series: Abdul Hakim owns books

The High Court yesterday upheld the order of Bangladesh Copyright Office that granted copyright of 260 books of the popular spy thriller "Masud Rana Series" and 50 books of "Kuasha Series" to ghostwriter Sheikh Abdul Hakim.

The court rejected a writ petition filed by Kazi Anwar Hossain, owner of Seba Prokashoni, challenging the copyright office order.

The bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Iqbal Kabir Lytton delivered the verdict after holding hearing on the petition.

The grounds on which the HC delivered the verdict could not be known as its full text was not released yet.

Copyright office's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Start that the books of "Masud Rana Series" and "Kuasha Series" will remain confiscated and Seba Prokashoni cannot sell those following the HC verdict.

Sheikh Abdul Hakim, now dead, had written the books, he added.

Petitioner's lawyer Hamidul Mishbah told The Daily Star that his client would move an appeal before the Supreme Court's Appellate Division challenging the HC judgment.

He earlier said Abdul Hakim had worked as a writer for Seba Prokashoni and wrote books for the organisation while receiving monthly salary.

The copyright office on June 14 last year granted the copyright of 260 books of "Masud Rana Series" and 50 books of "Kuasha Series" to their ghostwriter Abdul Hakim.

After retirement, he submitted an application to the copyright office claiming that the copyright of books under both the series, which was also a violation of the law, he said.

Earlier on June 15 last year, Jafor Raza Chowdhury, registrar of Bangladesh Copyright Office, reportedly said, "We have conferred the copyright to the ghostwriter -- Sheikh Abdul Hakim -- because beyond receiving a lump sum for writing the first book, he never received any royalty for any of the reprinting. There were no contracts at any point stating that Hakim would not hold copyright, or that Hakim is being given a one-time payment for writing the books."

Lawyer Murad Reza appeared for the writ petitioner.