2 Barguna journos sued under DSA

Two journalists have been sued under the Digital Security Act in Barguna's Bamna upazila over a report on a scuffle between two groups of local ruling party men in the upazila on August 15.

The accused are Nesar Uddin, publisher and editor of The Daily Sagorkul published from Bamna upazila, and its reporter Mahmudul Hasan Ashiq, reports our Patuakhali correspondent.

Bamna upazila Jubo League President Saiful Islam Sarwar filed the case with the Barishal Cyber Tribunal on yesterday, said tribunal bench assistant Nurul Islam Kankan today.

After taking the complaint into cognisance, Barishal Cyber Tribunal Judge Golam Faruq ordered Bamna Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mainul Islam to investigate it and submit a report in this regard.

The complainant in the case said the newspaper published a report over a scuffle between two groups of ruling party men. The report said the fight ensued over placing wreaths at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Bamna on August 15. Actually, there was no scuffle on the day, added the plaintiff.

He said his image and also that of the party were tarnished by publishing the "false news" and spreading it through social media.

However, Bamna upazila AL President Md Harun-or-Rashid told this newspaper that there was indeed a scuffle during the Mourning Day event, which he termed as "very shameful."

"The journalists did not commit any crime by publishing the incident in the media. Moreover, those who were involved in the incident should be punished."

Speaking on the matter, Nesar Uddin, editor and publisher of The Daily Sagorkul, said the news about the scuffle was published in several media outlets, but the case was filed against only him and his reporter.

Contacted, OC Mainul said he had heard about the case, but was yet to receive any copy of it.