Toufique Khalidi: ‘We won’t bow to pressure’

bdnews24.com will never bow down to undue pressure, said Editor-in-Chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi as he spoke on a barrage of legal notices over some reports published over the past decade on a businessman and his family

Khalidi highlighted that the news organisation was pressured in an “unreasonable and absurd” manner to take down those reports.

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 was threatened with lawsuits were based 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.

Editor-in-Chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi speaking about how bdnews24.com is being pressured in an “unreasonable and absurd” manner to take down reports at a press conference in Dhaka on Wednesday, Feb 17, 2021.

The people who sent the legal notices identified themselves as “friends” of Dr Iqbal. They claimed that the reports besmirched the reputation of Dr Iqbal and his family.

At a media briefing on Wednesday, Khalidi spoke extensively on “bizarre” attempts to muffle journalism by the influential people.

Khalidi and three news editors were also threatened with defamation cases and lawsuits under the Digital Security Act.

“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?" Khalidi said in his statement. 

“We’ve been told repeatedly that others have already removed their reports on the issue. Several attempts were made to manipulate us, engaging influential people, including those from the media. Having failed to compel us to remove the reports despite repeated efforts, they have now resorted to a truly bizarre approach.”

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.

Journalists attend a press conference in Dhaka on Wednesday, Feb 17, 2021 where bdnews24.com spoke of attempts to muffle the media by piling pressure on the news publisher in an “unreasonable and absurd” manner to take down reports.

“Apart from these, they 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,” Khalidi said.

bdnews24.com has provided reporters with a list of reports it has been pressured to take down.

“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,” Khalidi said.

The main point of the legal notices is that the reports should be removed as all of them have been acquitted in the cases—a demand that bdnews24.com finds “illogical”.

“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,” Khalidi 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],” former MP Iqbal had earlier told bdnews24.com.

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 the report, dated Feb 2, calling it “baseless”.

“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,” according to a legal notice from Faridpur.

bdnews24.com questioned the lawfulness of threatening “adverse consequences” through legal notices.

WHY THE PRESSURE?

The news organisation faced dozens of such demands since the 2007-08 military-controlled government. Sometimes, they came up with enticements, and when it did not work, legal notices followed, according to the statement.

Khalidi said such pressure mainly came from businessmen, not politicians. Some of these notices were from within the country while some were from abroad.

“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.”

So why does a person exonerated from a case pile pressure on bdnews24.com in an attempt to remove old news on the matter?

“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,” Khalidi said.

WHY A PRESS CONFERENCE?

“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,” Khalidi said.

“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.”

Khalidi said he has spoken out against the shortcomings of the law and the scope of abuse it leaves open from the very beginning.

“I’ve said several times after the passage of the law that some parts of it are not acceptable, because they appear to raise the possibility of abuse of the law,” he said.   

bdnews24.com said at the press conference that 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.”

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

He also spoke about his experience of people, who hold state posts, supporting or influencing 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.”

IS THERE ANY LOGIC BEHIND THE DEMAND FOR REMOVAL OF THE REPORTS?

Some people get the scope to create pressure in Bangladesh because some media outlets are bowing down to pressure, Khalidi said, responding to a question from a journalist who joined the press conference virtually from London.

Khalidi said those who have lobbied with him are journalists or the people well known in the media or nationally. “They requested me politely. They had one argument – why we are not pulling out [the reports] when others have done it. “They named newspapers considered to be big."

“My question is -- on what logic I will remove [the reports]. On what principle and criteria? [If we do this] We will have to remove everything and there will be nothing left.”

The bdnews24.com editor-in-chief told the British-Bangladeshi journalist: “It’s even unthinkable in the country where you are. Our country will also move in that direction, however slowly. We want to lead this process as we’ve done in many cases, not just in Bangladesh, but in the world.”

“I think we will lead in this matter too. We will not bow down to any pressure,” he said.

“The information will remain in the archives for our young colleagues, for future research, for the journalists eager to know the background before writing reports. These things will stay.”