Manab Zamin editor sued for report on people ‘named by Papia’

The daily Manab Zamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury has been sued for publishing a report on people “involved” with disgraced ruling party operative Shamima Noor Papia’s alleged escort services based at The Westin Dhaka.

The Awami League MP from Magura-1, Md Shifuzzaman Shikhor, also accused 31 others, including the newspaper’s reporter Al Amin, in the case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police under the Digital Security Act in Dhaka on Tuesday.

The newspaper did not name anyone in the report, but the 30 others accused spread it and a list on social media, Shikhor said in the case.

Police were trying to arrest the accused, said Jane Alam Munsi, the chief of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police.

After the arrest of Papia last month stories about her luxurious lifestyle were revealed. She got the money, the RAB said, from escort service, among a series of her alleged wrongdoings.

On Mar 2, the Manab Zamin reported that several bureaucrats, officials of key government departments, talk show participants, MPs, politicians and businesses frequented Papia at the hotel.

Police and the government have alerted all against naming and spreading information claimed to have been achieved from grilling of Papia on social media.

They urged all not to be misled by such lists and warned against publishing these.

Police also arrested Mominur Rahman Momiz, a leader of the Awami League in Kushtia, on accusations that he had published on Facebook a list of 21 people, including ruling party MP Selim Altaf George, and claiming they had frequented Papia’s den at the hotel.

DROP THE CASE: AMNESTY

Amnesty International has urged the government to “maintain restraint on further actions” against Matiur and the others accused in the case.

The human rights group also demanded that the government drop the case “immediately”.

“The case is a glaring example of how the law is being arbitrarily used against people by influential quarters and state agencies including the police,” Saad Hammadi, South Asia campaigner at the UK-based organisation, said in a statement.

“We are alarmed by the vague and overly-broad provisions within the Digital Security Act and the rigorous punishment that they entail for legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression,” he added.