Six defamation cases were filed against The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam in Sylhet, Patuakhali, Rangamati,Netrakona and Dinajpur yesterday for carrying ‘confusing’ and ‘defamatory’ reports in his English daily about Awami League president Sheikh Hasina during the 2007-08 military-backed caretaker regime. The cases were filed by leaders and supporters  of the ruling Awami League and its allied organisations and one  by a district public prosecutor. The cases followed Mahfuj Anam admitting his ‘mistake’ during a TV channels talk show on February 6 for publishing news against Sheikh Hasina supplied by an intelligence agency without ascertaining their veracity.
Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) Sylhet city unit president Abdul Basit Rumman and former president of the unit Rahat Tarafder filed the Tk100 crore defamation cases with Sylhet Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Saifuzzaman Hiro. Taking the cases into cognizance, the court summoned Mahfuz.
Advocate Humayun Kabir Babul, lawyer of Abdul Basit Rumman, said Mahfuz Anam published reports against Awami League president Sheikh Hasina based on information provided by DGFI without any scrutiny in 2007 and he in a television talk-show confessed to running such stories in his newspaper. Meanwhile, another defamation case was filed against The Daily Star editor with the court of Patuakhali Senior Judicial Magistrate ASM Tareque Shams. Advocate Uzzal Kumar Basu, Sechasebok League Patuakhali district unit secretary, filed the Tk 5 crore defamation case against Mahfuz Anam. After filing this case, the court issued a summon against The Daily Star Editor and fixed the date for 5th April, 2016. The case in Rangamati was filed by President of the Kaptai Upzila Awami Jubo League Nasiruddin. The Netrakona case was filed by Public Prosecutor Golam Mohammad Khan Pathan Bimol. Advocate Shamsur Rahman Parvez filed the case in Dinajpur.