‘Amar Desh can be published from elsewhere’

The declaration to publish Daily Amar Desh has not been revoked, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu has said.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 16 April 2013, 08:46 AM
Updated : 16 April 2013, 08:52 AM

He added that the newspaper can continue with its publication from other presses upon permission from the district administration of Dhaka.

The minister’s remarks came from a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon at the Secretariat.

Police had arrested the Bengali daily’s Acting Editor Mahmudur Rahman on Apr 11 on charges of sedition and for publishing in his newspaper an alleged Skype conversation of an ICT judge and an expatriate legal expert.

Law enforcers had also sealed its press later that day.

The law enforcers also arrested 19 people when Amar Desh was being printed in the Jamaat-e-Islami’s mouthpiece Daily Sangram’s press at Moghbazar on Saturday night.

Police seized 6,000 copies of Amar Desh from there.

A case has been filed against Sangram’s Editor and Publisher Abul Asad for ‘unlawfully’ printing Amar Desh.

As per Printing Presses and Publications Act, a newspaper needs permission from the district magistrate if it wants to print its copies from outside the designated press.

“Amar Desh can continue publishing according to the law,” Inu told the press briefing.

Mahmudur Rahman was arrested in line with the criminal law, he said, adding that his arrest has no connection whatsoever with the freedom of press.