Editors' Council demands withdrawal of cases against Daily Star's Mahfuz Anam

The Editors' Council has asked that cases started against The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam for running DGFI-fed corruption reports against Sheikh Hasina be withdrawn.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 17 Feb 2016, 04:24 PM
Updated : 17 Feb 2016, 04:24 PM

The editors made the demand at a meeting on Wednesday, according to a media release issued by the council.

The meeting "noted with concern" that 66 cases, including defamation cases seeking damages to the tune of Tk 826.465 billion, have been filed against Anam.

"The Editors’ Council condemned and took serious exception to such incidents," the release said.

"The meeting felt that such incidents go against freedom of the press. We expect that all cases against Mr Mahfuz Anam will be withdrawn," it said.

"The Editors’ Council expects that good sense would prevail among all quarters," it added.

Anam, the general secretary of the council, was present at the meeting along with its president, Samakal’s Editor Golam Sarwar.

Others present were News Today’s Editor Reaz Uddin Ahmed, The Financial Express’ Editor Moazzem Hossain, Manabzamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, The Independent Editor M Shamsur Rahman, Bangladesh Pratidin Editor Naem Nizam, Prothom Alo’s Editor Matiur Rahman, New Age Editor Nurul Kabir, Kaler Kantho Editor Imdadul Haque Milon, Banik Barta Editor Dewan Hanif Mahmud, Daily Inquilab Editor AMM Bahauddin,   Bhorer Kagoj Editor Shyamol Dutta, and Dhaka Tribune’s Editor Zafar Sobhan.