Ten cases, including a sedition case, were filed against the Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam yesterday for carrying “confusing” and “defamatory” reports in the newspaper about Awami League President Sheikh Hasina during the 2007-08 military-backed caretaker regime.
Of the cases, nine were filed against Mahfuz Anam in Sylhet, Khulna, Patuakhali, Rangamati and Shariatpur districts while the sedition case was filed in Netrakona.
In Sylhet, Bangladesh Chhatra League’s Sylhet city unit President Abdul Basit Rumman and former president of the unit Rahat Tarafder filed defamation cases, each of Tk100 crore, with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court.
Taking cognisance of the cases, the court summoned Mahfuz Anam.
Advocate Humayun Kabir Babul, lawyer of Abdul Basit Rumman, said Mahfuz Anam published reports against Sheikh Hasina based on information provided by DGFI without any scrutiny in 2007 and he confessed to running such stories in his newspaper in a television talk show recently.
In Khulna, two defamation cases were filed against the editor for the same reason.
Chhatra League’s Khulna district unit Secretary M Taslim Hossain Taj filed a Tk10 crore case against Mahfuz with Khulna Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court, while Joint Secretary M Parvez Alam filed another Tk5 crore defamation case with Khulna Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court.
Later, the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Mahfuz and fixed March 29 for the next hearing.
Khulna Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Aeysha Akhter Mousumi asked the officer-in-charge of Sadar police station to submit a report after an investigation.
In Shariatpur, three other defamation cases were filed against the editor with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court of the district.
Chhatra League’s district unit’s former president Nurul Amin Kotwal, Awami Muktijoddha Prajanma League’s central organisation Secretary Hasibul Islam and Chhatra League’s Jajira upazila unit’s General Secretary Hanif Miah filed the cases.
In Patuakhali, district Swechchasebak League General Secretary Advocate Ujjal Bose filed a Tk5 crore defamation case against the editor with Senior Judicial Magistrate Court 5 of the district.
Taking cognisance of the case, the court summoned Mahfuz Anam.
In Rangamati, Kaptai upazila Jubo League President Nasir Uddin filed a defamation case against the editor with Rangamati Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court.
In Netrakona, a sedition case was filed against the editor with Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court.
District Public Prosecutor Golam Mohammad Khan Pathan filed the case under section 120(k), 124(k) and 501 of the Penal Code.
After recording the initial statement of complainant, the court asked the officer-in-charge of Netrakona Model police station to submit a preliminary report before the court by March 6.