State minister sues 14 AL stalwarts over godfather claim

The combine will also go for legal action against some newspapers, particularly one daily that published names and photos of some important government leaders, whom the AL termed godfathers at its October 16 press conference.

Deputy Minister for Land Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu yesterday started the process by filing a Tk 5 crore defamation case with a magistrate's court in Natore against 14 AL leaders.

The leaders include Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil and its presidium members Abdus Samad Azad, Tofail Ahmed, Amir Hossain Amu, Suranjit Sengupta and Motia Chowdhury.

The court has ordered the accused to appear before it on November 5.

"Such statement without any proof is aimed to destroy the image of important leaders and is definitely defamatory. We all have taken the issue seriously and will take legal steps both individually and collectively," said a top leader of the BNP, who wished not to be named.

"You cannot publish names and photos of persons on the basis of anyone's allegation. Newspapers must have to play a responsible role and the responsibility of major dailies are much more," he added.

Side by side with legal steps, the alliance has planned a massive anti-AL campaign across the country to fight it politically, the leader said.

The BNP leadership has already instructed the 101 leaders concerned to file defamation cases against the AL leaders, who were present at the press conference, party sources said.

BNP insiders said the AL has targeted parliament seats of the 101 alliance leaders in the coming election and it has branded them as godfathers to tarnish their image.

Talking to reporters, Shipping Minister Akbar Hossain said, "The Awami League leadership has now become totally frustrated and that's why has chosen the path of destroying democracy to help the rise of a third force. But we want to say their evil design will never materialise."

He expressed surprise that the AL also listed him as a godfather although 'there is not a single instance of his involvement in any crime anywhere in the country'.