A ruling Awami League lawmaker has filed a libel suit against the editor of a local newspaper in southwestern district of Satkhira for publishing ‘false reports’.
Lawmaker SM Jaglul Hayder of Satkhira-4 constituency filed Tk 100 million libel suit against Editor and Publisher of Daily Satnodi Habibur Rahman with the Joint District Judge Court-2 of Satkhira on Thursday (Jan 17).
The court will hear the case on Jan 20 (Sunday).
According to the case statement, “On Jan 5, Daily Satnodi published a report titled ‘Minority people tortured by Satkhira-4 MP Jaglul Hayder gang, letter to PM to seeking remedy’ penned by Mohadeb Monadal and Mohendra Mondal of Shaymnagor.
Later, Mohadeb and Mohendra called a media briefing, where they claimed to have no knowledge on the letter and they did not write it.
Dismissing their claim, the editor said the news was true and ‘threatened’ vowed to run more stories on the matter.
On the next day, Daily Satnodi published two reports titled ‘False letter’ and “Winnowing fan’s supporters assaulted by Jaglul gang, vehicle stanched’, according to the statement.
Explaining the reason for suing the editor, lawmaker Hayder said, “My non-communal activities have been affected, dignity and honor have been damaged, and morality has been made questionable by running the false news.
“So, I filed the Tk 100 million defamation suit to seek remedies,” said Hayder, who is the president of the district’s Shaymnagor Upazila AL unit.
Editor Habibur said he heard of the suit.
“I am yet to receive any written documents,” he added.