NBR chief sues Jugantor newspaper for libel, demands Tk 5bn in damages

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Najibur Rahman has filed a libel suit against Jugantor newspaper seeking Tk 5 billion in damages.

The case was lodged at Dhaka’s First Joint District Judge Court on Wednesday against the Bangla-language daily for ‘publishing false news to defame’ the revenue board, NBR lawyer Tanjib Al Islam told bdnews24.com.

 

Nine people including Chairman Nurul Islam Babul of Jamuna Group, which owns the newspaper, the daily’s Editor and Publisher Salma Islam, Acting Editor Saiful Alam and Chief Economics Correspondent Helal Uddin were accused in the case.

 

The lawsuit claims Jugantor had resorted to ‘yellow journalism’ through many of its reports to belittle the NBR.

 

It also sought a ban on the defendants to stop them from publishing such ‘fake news’ in the future.

 

This is the first time an NBR chairman has sued a newspaper, Advocate Islam said.

Najibur Rahman in the suit claimed Jugantor ran ‘confusing and ridiculous’ reports defaming him and the NBR in last year’s Oct 29, Nov 1, Nov 24, Dec 7, Dec 9 and Dec 18, and in this year’s Mar 19, 20 and 24.

 

The court on Wednesday asked the defendants to explain within seven days why the newspaper should not stop running such reports.

 

On Dec 9 last year, the NBR’s Second Secretary (Board Administration-1) AHM Abdul Karim had filed a general diary with Ramna police against Babul and Helal.

 

Jugantor and Jamuna TV, also owned by the Jamuna Group, were pulled up for the series of reports that smacked of 'vendetta' and were described by a NBR statement released that day as 'downright scurrilous, defamatory, false and baseless'.