Staff Reporter :
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Wednesday demanded immediate release of its former President Barrister Mainul Hosein.
The leaders of the association made this demand at a press conference organized on the Supreme Court premises.
In the conference, President of the Bar Advocate Zainul Abedin said, “Cases were filed against Barrister Mainul Hosein, as he was involved with the election-oriented newly-floated political alliance ‘Jatiya Oikyafront’. He has been implicated in the cases intentionally to dishevel him politically. So, we demand his immediate release.”
He said, “Once Barrister Mainul Hosein was a Member of Parliament (MP) with the Awami League ticket. But he was the lone Treasury Bench MP at that time who resigned protesting the emergence of BAKSAL.”
“Journalist Masuda Bhatti did not maintain the ethics of questioning an elite at a television talk-show. Rather, she questioned Mainul Hosein in an attacking language, disrespectfully. He was dishonored by such type of question and we also feel dishonored as lawyers,” Zainul said.
“Barrister Mainul apologized to Masuda Bhatti in black and white, yet, she filed defamation case against him. As per rule, the court is bound to grant bail in such case. But the defendant did not get bail,” he said.
“There is no law to file multiple cases for a single reason, but it is being done. Leaders of Jubo Mohila League are filing cases in different parts of the country counting his (Mainul Hosein) speech politically. This is totally contrary to the law and the Constitution of the country. The courts are also not granting bail to him though the cases are bailable.”
Bar Secretary Barrister A M Mahbub Uddin Khokan also delivered speech in the conference and other bar leaders was present on the occasion. In a bailable offence, a Dhaka court on Tuesday sent Barrister Mainul Hosein, former Adviser to the Caretaker Government, to jail rejecting his bail petition.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka Md Kaisarul Islam passed the order in a defamation case filed with Rangpur Court.
On October 16, Mainul Hosein was connected to a talk show programme, ‘Ekattorer Journal’, through a video conference aired on a private TV channel, Ekattor TV, hosted by Mithila Farzana, and made an ‘offensive comments’ against Masuda Bhatti.
During the talk show, Masuda Bhatti told Mainul Hosein, “You say that you are with the Jatiya Oikya Front as a citizen of the country, but in social networking sites, many people are saying that you are there as a representative of Jamaat-e-Islami.” Angered by the comment, Mainul Hosein said, “I am thanking you for your audacity and I want to believe you as ‘characterless’. There’s no question about Jamaat link’s with me and what question you have asked is embarrassing for me.”
After the talk show programme Barrister Mainul Hosein apologized to Masuda Bhatti over phone in black and white. But Bhatti filed a defamation case against Mainul Hosein on October 21.
Following the occurrence, some other persons also filed cases in different parts of the country saying that they are also aggrieved at Mainul Hosein’s comment.
