A case has been filed with a Dhaka court against seven people, including Channel 24 Managing Director AK Azad, over allegations that the private television channel aired false and defamatory reports.
Former Lalmonirhat Joint District and Sessions Judge Md Ariful Islam, who is currently under temporary suspension, filed the complaint before the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sefatullah on Monday.
The court recorded the complainant’s statement and directed the Detective Branch (DB) of police to investigate the allegations.
Confirming the matter, the complainant’s lawyer, Azizur Rahman Dulu, said Channel 24 had aired fabricated reports over a land dispute between the complainant’s late father-in-law and step-uncle-in-law.
“The reports were allegedly used as a basis for suspending the judge. We had earlier served the channel with a legal notice demanding an apology, but it did not respond. As a result, we filed the case today. We may also file a separate case seeking compensation,” he said.
The accused are Channel 24 Managing Director AK Azad; Searchlight Editor Faisal Alam; Executive Director Zahirul Alam; Head of Multimedia Rajib Khan; Assignment Editor Maksud Un Nabi; Senior News Editor Tuhin Kaiyum; and news reporter Zahid Hossain.
According to the complaint, Channel 24 aired a report titled “case exists, but complainants and witnesses are untraceable: Investigation raises questions about judge” during its regular news bulletin and its 9pm investigative programme Searchlight on October 9.
The complaint alleges that the report deliberately distorted and selectively edited statements made by Ariful Islam before broadcasting them.
On October 15, after the Law and Justice Division temporarily suspended Ariful Islam, Channel 24 aired another report claiming that the suspension had followed its investigative report.
