Leaders and supporters of the ruling Awami League yesterday filed at least 12 cases with eight district courts against The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam on charges of defamation and sedition.
The courts took all the cases into cognisance and ordered the police stations concerned to investigate the allegations.
With these, at least 66 cases have been filed against the newspaper editor after he on February 3 admitted on a TV talk show that he had 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,” he said.
Yesterday, three cases were filed in Chittagong, three in Mymensingh, and one each in Chandpur, Gazipur, Manikganj, Comilla, Rajbari and Gaibandha districts. Three of the 12 cases were filed for sedition.
Meanwhile, the Editor’s Council yesterday condemned the filing of cases against Mahfuz Anam, who is also the general secretary of the platform of newspaper editors.