Court dismisses defamation case against ex-DSCC mayor Khokon

A Dhaka court yesterday dismissed a defamation case filed against  former Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) mayor Sayeed Khokon over making "defamatory comments" on incumbent Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Baki Billah passed the order as he did not find sufficient grounds to accept the case lodged by one Kazi Anisur Rahman, court sources said.

The same magistrate also granted a petition for withdrawing another defamation case filed against Khokon yesterday after lawyer Sarwar Alam, also the complainant, submitted a petition with the court to this end.

On January 11, Sarwar and Anisur lodged the cases against Khokon with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury.

After two hearings, the magistrate took the cases into cognisance and recorded statements of both the plaintiffs that day.

Later, the court set yesterday for passing orders in the cases.

The cases were filed soon after Mayor Taposh said the remarks made by his predecessor Khokon against him at a human chain in front of the High Court on January 9 were "defamatory".

The next day, Taposh asked the petitioners to withdraw the cases.

"I'm not involved with the cases. Two overenthusiastic lawyers filed those. I'm requesting them to withdraw the cases," Taposh told reporters in reply to a query at a press conference at the Nagar Bhaban.

The complainants alleged that Khokon made defamatory comments against Taposh at the human chain programme.

According to the case documents, Khokon said Taposh had been "talking big" against corruption after becoming the DSCC mayor, but such stories do not suit coming from him.

He said Taposh needs to be free from corruption first to make his administration free from graft.

Taposh transferred hundreds of crores of taka from the DSCC's coffers to Modhumoti Bank, which is owned by him, Khokon also alleged.

Through the baseless and fabricated comments, Khokon defamed Taposh, the case statements said.

The problem started on December 8 last year when the DSCC demolished several hundred illegal shops at Phulbaria Supermarket-2 in Gulistan, which were built violating the main design of the supermarket. Traders and shop owners protested the DSCC move back then.

On December 29, former mayor Khokon and six others were sued on charges of embezzling Tk 34.89 crore.

Delwar Hossain, president of Traders-Owners Association of the supermarket, lodged the case with the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Ashek Imam.