Dhaka Tribune Desk March 11th, 2020
The council also demanded an immediate withdrawal of the case filed against the newspaper
The Sampadak Parishad (Editors’ Council) has expresses grave concern over the case filed against Manabzamin Editor-in-Chief Matiur Rahman Chowdhury and 32 others under the Digital Security Act.
The council also demanded immediate withdrawal of the case filed against the newspaper for publishing a news article regarding expelled Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Noor Papia, said a statement released on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Magura 1 constituency parliamentarian Md Shifuzzaman Shikhor filed the case with Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station.
The statement, signed by the Sampadak Parishad’s President Mahfuz Anam and Secretary General Naem Nizam, also noted that the lawmaker filed the case against the newspaper for allegedly defaming him in a story, in which neither his name nor any reference to him was made either directly or indirectly.
The council also said it failed to understand why the lawmaker, Saifuzzaman Shikhor, should take upon himself to feel defamed when his name or any reference to him did not appear in any part of the report.
“What was done on the social media by unknown users can in no way be attributed to Manab Zamin, its Editor-in-Chief Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, and its reporter,” the statement said.
The council also said it considered filing the case nothing more than an attempt to intimidate and harass the media and journalists in general.
“Such use of the DSA (Digital Security Act) was the reason why Sampadak Parishad has been opposed to this Act from its inception,” the statement added.
