Tawfik sues Amar Desh

Dhaka, Jan 19 (bdnews24.com) – The prime minister's energy adviser Tawfik-e-Elahi Chowdhury filed a defamation suit at a Dhaka court on Tuesday against Bangla-language daily Amar Desh for publishing a report accusing him of taking bribes from a US oil company to help it secure a contract in Bangladesh.

Taking cognizance of Chowdhury's case, metropolitan magistrate Roksana Begum Happy summoned Amar Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman, publisher Hasmat Ali and special correspondent M Abdullah to appear before the court on February 9.

The pro-opposition broadsheet carried the story on Dec 17 last year accusing Chowdhury as well as prime minister Sheikh Hasina's son Sajib Wajed Joy of taking a backhander of Tk 35 crore ($5 million) from oil giant Chevron in Dallas, Texas, on Oct 14 to help it secure a contract to set up gas compressor stations in Bangladesh.

Supporters of ruling Awami League across the country rushed to file defamation suits against the paper's editor and publisher, complaining that the reputation of the government and Hasina's family was sullied by the story.

With Chowdhury's lawsuit on Tuesday, the number of cases filed against Amar Desh in connection with the report, has now risen to 25.

Mahmudur Rahman, Hasmat Ali ad M Abdullah all secured three-month ad-interim bails from the High Court on January 3 in the previous 24 cases, Amar Desh lawyer Belal Hossain Jasim told bdnews24.com.

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