Alleged Defamation
Kaler Kantho editor, publisher sued
Local leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) filed four defamation suits against five staff of the Kaler Kantho, including its editor and publisher, in four districts yesterday, a day after the Bangla daily published a report exposing the alleged corruption and extortion by the pro-Awami League student body leaders.
The accused also include the daily's chief reporter, news editor, and a staff reporter.
The complaints termed the report, “Chhatraneta Holei Dhoni†(student leadership brings fortunes) with a sub-head, “Chhatra League Sonar Dim Para Hans†(Chhatra League, a goose laying golden eggs), “false, baseless, and fabricated†and said the daily ran it to ruin BCL's image.
The report says former and current BCL top brass, including incumbent President Badiuzzaman Shohag and General Secretary Siddiqui Nazmul Alam, amassed quite a fortune soon after their rise to leadership. The money comes from, it says, extortion and bribery centering tender manipulation, appointment, and formation of BCL committees and “gifts†from various businesses.
Our Khulna correspondent reports that the Khulna district BCL president filed a Tk 10 crore defamation suit against Editor Imdadul Haque Milon, the news editor (not named in the complaint), and Staff Reporter Pavel Haider Chowdhury.
The suit was lodged with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court, which fixed December 24 to pass an order.
In Pabna, the district unit BCL general secretary filed a Tk 50 lakh defamation case with the Cognisance Court-1. It asked Editor Milon, Publisher Moinal Hossain Chowdhury, and Pavel to appear on March 5, 2013.
In Bagerhat, four persons, including the above three and Chief Reporter Tipu Dutta, were sued. The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate's court will hear the case on January 30, 2013. The district unit BCL president filed it.
Our Bogra correspondent reports that the district unit BCL president filed a Tk 2 crore defamation suit with the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate's court, accusing the daily's publisher and the staff reporter, Pavel.
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