Thirteen more cases were filed against The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam in as many districts on Monday for carrying ‘confusing’ and ‘defamatory’ reports in his daily about Awami League president Sheikh Hasina during the 2007-08 military-backed caretaker regime.In Chapainawabganj, Ezabul Haq Buli, treasurer of Sadar upazila unit of Awami League, filed a case with the court of Judicial Magistrate.In Sylhet, Syed Abul Kashem, former organising secretary of London unit of Awami League, filed a Tk 100-crore defamation lawsuit with the court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Shahidul Amin.In Laxmipur, Kamalnagar upazila AL general secretary Advocate Nurul Amin Raju filed a Tk 100-crore case against Mahfuz Anam with the court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Manir Hossain.In Natore, Alek Uddin Sheikh, joint secretary of Sadar upazila unit of AL, filed a defamation case against the editor with the court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Shamsul Al Amin.In Pabna, senior vice-president of district unit Awami League Rezaul Rahim Lal filed the case with the Cognigence Court-1 of Chief Judicial Magistrate Rezaul Karim.In Rangpur, Motahar Hossain, organising secretary of district unit Awami League and secretary of Fertiliser Association, filed the defamation case of Tk 100 crore with the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Shafiul Alam.Taking cognisance of the complaint, the court summoned Mahfuz Anam to appear before it on March 1.In Sylhet, a Tk 150-crore case was filed against Mahfuz Anam with the court of Jaintapur Judicial Court Qudrat E Khuda. Afsar Aziz, a leader of Bangladesh Swechchhashebak League, filed the case with the court.In Dinajpur, Advocate Samsur Rahman Parvez, a member of District Ainjibi Parishad, filed a case against Mahfuz Anam with the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate AFM Ahsanul Haq.Taking cognisance of the complaint, the court summoned him to appear before it within June 14.Besides, five other cases were filed against the English daily editor in Tangail, Khagrachhari, Comilla, Panchagarh and Nilphamari.According to the complainants, Mahfuz Anam published reports against Awami League president Sheikh Hasina based on information provided by DGFI without any scrutiny in 2007.The editor of the country’s leading English daily in a television talk-show confessed to running such stories in his newspaper.
