Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Tuesday directed Prothom Alo, a Bangla daily newspaper, to give Taka one lakh to a female garment worker as compensation for socially demeaning her, publishing a wrong news about her child birth.
In a suo moto rule, the bench of Justice Qazi Reza-Ul-Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Mohammad Saifur Rahman said the authorities of the newspaper will have to give the money to
Hamida Akter, a worker of Apex Footwear Limited at Gazipur, within a month as her image was damaged due to the wrong report.
The report said Hamida gave birth to a child in a toilet of the factory as the authorities did not grant her leave. Prom Alo carried the report on May 10 but published a correction on the following day, saying that the report was made on wrong information.
Having learnt from the newspaper report, the court issued the rule and asked the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Kaliakoir under Gazipur district to carry out a probe into the matter. The UNO’s report mentioned that Hamida had an abortion but she did not give birth to any child.
The court also summoned three officials of the Apex Footwear Limited before it. They are Managing Director of the company Syed Nasim Monjoor, Inspector Azizur Rahman and Supervisor Ratan Mia.
In compliance with the court order, the three officials appeared before the court and said though the Prothom Alo’s report was wrong, they have taken measures for Hamida’s treatment.
Accepting their explanation, the court exempted them from the rule, but asked Prothom-alo to give Tk 1 lakh to Hamida as compensation. The court also said the factory can file a defamatory case against the newspaper if it thinks the news has tarnished its reputation.
Advocate Asaduzzaman appeared for the factory, while Deputy Attorney General Taposh Kumar Biswas pleaded for the State during the hearing.
The High Court (HC) on Tuesday directed Prothom Alo, a Bangla daily newspaper, to give Taka one lakh to a female garment worker as compensation for socially demeaning her, publishing a wrong news about her child birth.
In a suo moto rule, the bench of Justice Qazi Reza-Ul-Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Mohammad Saifur Rahman said the authorities of the newspaper will have to give the money to
Hamida Akter, a worker of Apex Footwear Limited at Gazipur, within a month as her image was damaged due to the wrong report.
The report said Hamida gave birth to a child in a toilet of the factory as the authorities did not grant her leave. Prom Alo carried the report on May 10 but published a correction on the following day, saying that the report was made on wrong information.
Having learnt from the newspaper report, the court issued the rule and asked the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Kaliakoir under Gazipur district to carry out a probe into the matter. The UNO’s report mentioned that Hamida had an abortion but she did not give birth to any child.
The court also summoned three officials of the Apex Footwear Limited before it. They are Managing Director of the company Syed Nasim Monjoor, Inspector Azizur Rahman and Supervisor Ratan Mia.
In compliance with the court order, the three officials appeared before the court and said though the Prothom Alo’s report was wrong, they have taken measures for Hamida’s treatment.
Accepting their explanation, the court exempted them from the rule, but asked Prothom-alo to give Tk 1 lakh to Hamida as compensation. The court also said the factory can file a defamatory case against the newspaper if it thinks the news has tarnished its reputation.
Advocate Asaduzzaman appeared for the factory, while Deputy Attorney General Taposh Kumar Biswas pleaded for the State during the hearing.
