Sedition complaint filed against Mahfuz Anam in Dhaka

A lawyer has filed a complaint with a court accusing The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam of treason for running graft stories against Sheikh Hasina based on unsubstantiated information provided by the DGFI.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Md Mostafizur Rahman Dulal lodged the complaint with Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court on Thursday.

During the 2007-08 military-backed caretaker regime, numerous graft cases were filed against politicians.

Top politicians, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former premier Khaleda Zia were arrested on charges of corruption.

File Photo

At a TV talk-show on Feb 3, the editor of the English daily admitted his ‘big mistake’ by running uncorroborated stories fed by military intelligence outfit, DGFI.

In those stories Hasina was accused of taking bribes.

It drew widespread criticism both from the Awami League and the BNP.

Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy demanded Anam to be tried for treason, which was echoed by several MPs during a Parliament session.

The lawmakers also demanded that the newspaper be shut down.

On Feb 9, two libel suits were filed against Anam at courts in Khulna and Lakshmipur.

In the complaint filed in Dhaka on Thursday it was said that the Anam ran ‘false and distorted’ stories in an effort to ‘efface’ Hasina from politics.