Muhith to file Tk100 cr libel suits against two newspapers

Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Wednesday said he would file Tk100 crore libel suits against two newspapers for publishing false reports that he had sought family tickets from China to attend an event in the country. The newspapers in question are Amader Arthonity and Asian Age. Speaking to reporters at the Finance Ministry secretary’s office, Muhith said: “I have called you here today (Wednesday) to say that I will file Tk100 crore libel suits against these two newspapers. I will file them before I leave the office because these reports are completely fabricated.” Muhith added that when he contacted the Economic Relations Department (ERD), who was cited as a source by the newspapers, the ERD secretary said they had no record of any such conversation with the newspapers. “Only thing they (ERD) know is this – that Euro Money invited me to go to China to have a discussion on Bangladesh-China economic relations,” the finance minister said. Furthermore, Muhith told reporters there were no plans to go to the event at all, as the Bangladesh ambassador in China, after speaking to Chinese officials, could not verify the programme. “Chinese foreign ministry officials told the Bangladesh ambassador in China that they had no knowledge of the programme at all. Euro Money had not approached them. In that case, I told him I would be happy if this programme was cancelled, as I do not like travelling,” he said. The minister also said that the Chinese foreign ministry confirmed that there was no such event by Euro Money on the cards two days after the initial phone call.