A Narayanganj court has issued arrest warrant against The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam in a defamation case.
Narayanganj Senior Judicial Magistrate Saiduzzaman Sharif passed the order after taking the case into cognisance on Tuesday afternoon.
Mohsin Mia, joint secretary of Narayanganj District Lawyers Association, filed the Tk10 crore defamation case against Mahfuz Anam for carrying “confusing” and “defamatory” reports in his daily about Awami League President Sheikh Hasina during the 2007-08 military-backed caretaker regime.
Confirming the Dhaka Tribune about the arrest warrant, petitioner's counsel Mahmuda Mala said the next hearing in the case will be held on March 28.
According to the case statement, the "fake stories" published by Mahfuz Anam on Sheikh Hasina in his daily during the 2008 caretaker government's regime defamed the prime minister that led her to the jail.
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A total of 30 defamation cases and eight sedition charges have so far been filed against Mahfuz Anam for running "false corruption stories" against Sheikh Hasina.
Mahfuz Anam on a TV talk show on February 3 admitted that he made a "big mistake" by running "corruption" stories based on information provided by the DGFI during the 2007-2008 caretaker regime.
"I admit it. It was a big mistake as an editor, in my journalism career,” Anam said on the talk show.
