A former adviser to the military-installed caretaker administration, Mainul Hosein has secured anticipatory bail for five months in the High Court in relation to separate libel suits filed over hurling abuses at journalist Masuda Bhatti on live television.
The HC bench of justices Muhammad Abdul Hafiz and Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order on Sunday (Oct 21).
Early in the day, a Dhaka court issued an arrest warrant against Hosein after journalist Bhatti filed a defamation case against him.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Muhammad Asaduzzaman Noor passed the order after taking the case into cognisance.
A court in Jamalpur also issued separate arrest warrant against Hosein a Tk 200 billion defamation suit, our correspondent reports.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Soleiman Kabir passed the order taking the case into cognisance.
Convener of Jamalpur Jubo Mohila League Farzana Yasmin Lita sued Hosein with the court for hurling abusive words at journalist Bhatti.
On Oct 16, Hosein called Bhatti ‘debauchee’ at the talk show -- Ekattor Journal -- hosted by Mithila Farzana on Ekattor TV.
There has been an outpouring of anger on the social media about Mainul, one of the sponsors of the Dr Kamal Hossain-led new alliance with the BNP.
Oct 17, over 100 female journalists and rights activists demanded a public apology from Hosein and 55 senior journalists made the same demand on Sunday (Oct 20).