Dhaka, Jan 18 (bdnews24.com) - Lutfozzaman Babar Thursday filed a Tk 100 crore libel suit against the daily Jugantor for publishing "false and fabricated" reports that he said tarnished his reputation.
The former state minister filed the suit with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Dhaka Thursday.
Chief metropolitan magistrate Abdullahel Baqui asked six people of the Bangla-language newspaper to appear in court by January 27.
Summons were issued against publisher of the daily Salma Islam, editor Golam Sarwar, news editor Arun Dey, chief reporter Mahmud Hasan, former news editor Ahmed Faruk Hasan and former chief reporter Rafiqul Islam Ratan.
In his appeal, Babar said the daily published "false, fabricated and untrue reports" against him in its November 6, November 9 and January 15 issues.
He alleged that he sent rejoinders to the reports, which Jugantor did not print. "Publication of the reports tarnished his image in society," Babar claimed.
Deputy editor Saiful Alam told bdnews24.com: "Maybe we didn't get them (rejoinders). We have no reason not to publish them. We have published his rejoinders in the past."
Babar filed the case under section 234 of the Criminal Procedure Code seeking arrest warrants against the six.
Advocate Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan moved the case for Babar. More than 50 lawyers were present in court.
Babar filed another libel suit against Jugantor owner Nurul Islam Babul when he was a state minister.
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