Sedition Case Against Mahfuz Anam-Court orders police to investigate upon govt approval

    Staff Correspondent   :  A Dhaka court on Thursday ordered police to investigate the allegation of sedition against The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam upon approval from the government.

After recording a complaint lodged by a lawyer, metropolitan magistrate Snigdha Rani Chakrobarty passed the order and asked the Kotwali police station to submit the report on 28 March.

Earlier, lawyer Mostafizur Rahman lodged the complaint and appealed to the court to record a sedition case against The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam for carrying “false and distorted reports” against prime minister Sheikh Hasina, also ruling Awami League president, in his daily after the political changeover in 2007.

Mostafizur Rahman is also assistant public prosecutor of Dhaka Special Judges Court-9.

The complaint’s statement read, “Mahfuz Anam published false and distorted news reports to bring undemocratic forces to power in line with the prescription of an [intelligence] agency with an ill attempt to make the AL bereft of leadership, which is tantamount to sedition.”

The complainant also alleged Mahfuz Anam had resorted to “yellow journalism” and destabilised country’s politics through publishing “false, unfounded and distorted information.”

The court said legal steps should be taken only after examining the veracity of the allegations, given the importance and sensitivity of the incident.