Bizarre attempt to muffle journalism. Here’s what bdnews24.com says

bdnews24.com is being pressured in an “unreasonable and absurd” manner to take down some reports published over the past decade on a businessman and his family. The news publisher has so far received 36 legal notices from 24 districts for the reports based on cases and court decisions.

Here’s the full statement:

Bizarre Attempt to Muffle Journalism

There is no need to introduce you to bdnews24.com anew. After 14 years of ups and downs in our journey, we have cemented our position as a fair and fearless purveyor of news.

bdnews24.com has faced down pressure from influential people at various points in time and always remained committed to delivering objective and unbiased journalism, regardless of the obstacles.

We know that almost all news outlets have been approached by these quarters, sometimes with enticements, and outright threats on other occasions, to block or take down reports.

But lately, bdnews24.com is being pressured in such an unreasonable and absurd manner that we feel it is necessary to let the other news outlets know about it.

What do they want?

Like other news outlets, bdnews24.com has published several reports on cases against a businessman and his family based on court proceedings, orders and verdicts in the past decade.

Although they were acquitted of the charges long ago, they claim they are now facing problems with their business endeavours because the reports are still on the internet. As such, they want us to take down the old reports.

The reports are not based on bdnews24.com’s own investigation, but they objectively reflect the court proceedings and orders. It naturally begs the question: what logical reason is there for the news publisher to remove these reports? We can correct factual errors if there is any, but our attention has not been drawn to any such issue.

Having failed to compel us to remove the reports despite repeated efforts, they have now resorted to a truly bizarre approach, which involves sending a barrage of legal notices through lawyers to the bdnews24.com editor-in-chief.

It is said that the old reports are damaging the businessman’s image and cases will therefore be filed under the Digital Security Act if these are not removed.

Who are exerting pressure?

bdnews24.com has received 36 legal notices from 24 districts as of Tuesday. The language, statements and demands in the notices, sent under different names, are identical.

The reports for which bdnews24.com is being threatened with lawsuits are on court orders in cases against businessman and former lawmaker Dr HBM Iqbal and members of his family.

These reports include the 2010 verdict exonerating Dr Iqbal in a murder case as well as a 2017 order allowing his wife and children to appeal in the High Court.

The people who are sending the legal notices are identifying themselves as “friends” of Dr Iqbal. They claim that the reports are besmirching the reputation of Dr Iqbal and his family.

The lawyers have mentioned various reports on Dr Iqbal or his family published by bdnews24.com between 2007 and the recent past, which they claim are “false and baseless”. However, they have failed to link their objections to any specific part of the reports.

A list of the reports for which bdnews24.com is facing the legal notices:

Dulal remanded in 2001 Malibagh shooting  

Published: 22 Oct 2007 03:54 PM BdST

HBM Iqbal jailed for 13 years  

Published: 11 Mar 2008 12:00 PM BdST

Ex-AL MP Iqbal sent to jail in wealth case  

Published: 28 Feb 2010 11:18 AM BdST

Banker, ex-AL MP Iqbal sent to jail in wealth case  

Published: 28 Feb 2010 03:57 PM BdST

AL leaders relieved from 2001 murder case  

Published: 26 Aug 2010 07:10 AM BdST

Four injured in reckless driving by ex-Awami League MP HBM Iqbal’s underage nephew at Gulshan  

Published: 14 Oct 2015 12:30 AM BdST

Top court upholds conviction of former MP Iqbal's wife, children for corruption  

Published: 27 Nov 2016 02:51 PM BdST

Former AL lawmaker Iqbal's wife, two sons and daughter land in jail  

Published: 08 Mar 2017 04:30 PM BdST

Ex-MP Iqbal's wife, three children appeal against conviction in ACC case  

Published: 09 Mar 2017 09:57 PM BdST

Arrest warrant out for Premier Bank Chairman HBM Iqbal  

Published: 02 Jul 2017 10:42 PM BdST

bdnews24.com is being targeted with the accusation of “deliberate defamation” for the same news published by all the mainstream media outlets on the court proceedings and orders.

bdnews24.com received the first legal notice at the end of January. We subsequently published a report on the matter on Feb 2. In keeping with the ethics and standards of good journalism, our correspondent spoke to the lawyer who sent the notice as well as Dr Iqbal.

Asked about the old reports, the former MP said, “Now 12 years have passed after 1/11 case. The High Court and Supreme Court have quashed these cases. Then why are you letting the entire world know about the lower court’s [orders].” The installation of the military-run caretaker government and actions taken by that administration are referred to as 1/11 in Bangladesh.

After the publication of the report, the other legal notices began streaming in from different districts. Apart from reiterating the previous demands, they have now raised objections to our report, dated Feb 2.

They assert that the report is “baseless” even though it is fundamentally based on the first notice sent by them and their statements.

In one of the new notices from Faridpur, in addition to threatening bdnews24.com with legal action for publishing "any false or baseless news after this", the lawyer also warns of “adverse consequences” for the news publisher

“Through this legal notice, you are also being alerted that my client will be compelled to take necessary legal action against you and your organisation if you publish any false or baseless news after this. You must publish a notice by admitting your mistake about the news you have published. Otherwise, you will be responsible for adverse consequences.”

Here, we want to question the lawfulness of threatening “adverse consequences” through legal notices.

bdnews24.com has faced dozens of such demands since the 2007-08 military-controlled government. Sometimes, they came up with enticements, and when it did not work, we were pressured in the name of legal notices.

Surprisingly, such pressure mainly came from businessmen, not politicians.

But in the latest instance, the language used to address four top editors is certain to raise eyebrows as well as the disregard for logic, reality, rules and norms.

We are being threatened with lawsuits under the Digital Security Act in various districts. We, the media of Bangladesh, have spoken out against the shortcomings of the law and the scope of abuse it leaves open from the very beginning.

The senders are threatening to file defamation cases for tens of billions of takas in compensation in the legal notices. The numbers, if added up, amount to Tk 500 billion. But who are the people sending these notices? Not anyone who could reasonably be aggrieved by the reports.

This is a concerted effort to harass and intimidate us into thinking about removing the reports.

If cases are filed, people need to appear in court. Even if nothing ultimately comes of it, a lot of time is wasted in the process.

Nevertheless, it begs the question: why do powerful people resort to such measures? This culture of intimidation and fear must end.  

If history is any guide, people holding state posts support or influence these efforts in some cases.

We have called this press conference to draw your attention to the matter, not because we are afraid of the threats.

We are bringing the issues before you because we believe the matter this time is highly unusual and absurd.

If people demand the removal of reports on cases against them from a long time ago after being acquitted, it will have a profound impact on the media at all levels in Bangladesh.

Feb 17, 2021