The High Court Wednesday directed the media to refrain from publishing derogatory remarks about a former official of the real estate company Ashiyan City, so that the woman in question would not be further victimised.
A vacation bench of Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice Jafar Ahmed passed the order following a writ petition lodged by the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association.
BNWLA Executive Director Salma Ali filed the writ with the High Court Wednesday onbehalf of the organisation. She told the Dhaka Tribune that the owner and publisher of the Bangla daily Manobkantha, Nazrul Islam, had tried to tarnish the character of the woman by publishing reports regularly in his paper as well as in the daily Ittefaq and Jugantor under the guise of advertisements, violating the former Ashiyan official’s constitutional right to privacy.
The High Court ruled that the offending parties must provide reasons as to why the reporting and advertisements regarding the woman should not to be ordered to cease. The editor and publisher of the daily Manobkantha and Ittefaq, and the Ashiyan City managing director must respond to the court’s ruling.
The court issued another ruling asking why directions should not be given for the formulation of guidelines to stop the publication of demeaning news on women and children. The law secretary, information secretary, home secretary, women and children secretary, Press Council chairman, Press Institute and the National Press Club were all ordered to respond to the ruling.
