A Dhaka court yesterday summoned Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman and two other journalists of the Bangla daily in connection to a defamation case filed against them.
The other accused in the case are Prothom Alo’s Chief News Editor and its Comilla correspondent.
Dhaka 4th Joint District and Session Judge Muhammad Abu Taher passed the order after taking the defamation case into its cognizance. The court also fixed July 13 for the defendants to reply to the summon notice.
On March 3, Engineer MA Rashid, owner of the Karnaphuli Ship Builders Limited and a director of the capital’s South Point School and College, lodged the defamation suit with the court seeking Tk200 crore as compensation.
According to the case statements, plaintiff alleged that “Four news reports and editorials regarding railway and government-owned land and South Point School and College were published in daily Prothom Alo.”
“These news and editorials had defamed the educational institution and business entities run by the plaintiff.”
He also alleged the three defendants had tarnished his image and his institutions by publishing “untrue and baseless” reports.
The four respective news reports, headlined “Montrir Porichitoke Railwayer Jomi Boraddho Deyar Udyog (an initiative to allot railway land to people loyal to the minister)" and “Thikadarer Biyete Tin Montri Hazir (three ministers attend contractor’s wedding)”were published by Prothom Alo on December 21, 2012 and February 23 this year.
The plaintiff also marked two other editorials published by the daily, headlined “Rail Montrir Jomi Sampradan (railway minister’s land donation” and “Dawat, Sangbordhana Aar Koto (how many more invitations and receptions)” on December 22, 2012 and February 2 this year.