Bashundhara chairman, MD, nine others sued in defamation case

Bashundhara group chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, managing director Sayem Sobhan Anvir and nine others were sued in a defamation case worth Tk 500 crore for carrying confusing, false and defamatory reports against Whip and member of the parliament Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury and his son Nazmul Karim Chowdhury Sharun in the media outlets owned by East West Media Group.

Whip Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury filed the case with joint district judge court at Patiya on Wednesday, said the plaintiff’s lawyer Dipak Kumar Shil.

The other respondents of the case are — Bangladesh Pratidin editor Naem Nizam, Kalerkantho editor Emdadul Hoque Milon, Bangladesh Pratidin’s reporter Saidur Rahman Rimon, Chattogram Bureau chief Reaz Hyder Chowdhury, reporter Mohammad Selim, Kalerkantho reporter SM Rana, News24 editor, Banglanews24.com editor and Daily Sun editor Enamul Hoque Chowdhury, according to the case statements.

Lawyer Dipak Kumar Shil told New Age that the court accepted the case and issued summons to the respondents to be present before the court on September 23, 2021.

Quoting the case statement, the lawyer said that the media outlets owned by East West Media Group carried confusing, false and defamatory reports against whip and member of the parliament Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury and his son Nazmul Karim Chowdhury Sharun.

The plaintiff claimed that the reports were false, fabricated, and baseless which defamed him and his family. He sought Tk 500 crore as compensation, the lawyer said.

Plaintiff Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury told New Age, ‘We had no enmity with the journalists employed with Bashundhara group’s media outlets. But they carried false, fabricated and baseless reports against me and my family members in the last two years on instructions given by Bashundhara group chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and managing director Sayem Sobhan Anvir.

‘There is a conflict between my son Sharun and Sayem Sobhan Anvir over a family and personal issue. Sayem Sobhan Anvir took the opportunity and continuously defamed us. I served legal notice to Sayem and others, but they didn’t stop.  Now I have been forced to file a case,’ he said.