Court summons Prothom Alo editor

A court has taken cognizance of a Tk 2 billion defamation case and issued summons against three, including Prothom Alo’s Editor and Publisher Matiur Rahman. Dhaka’s fourth Joint District Judge Muhammad Abu Taher gave the order after a hearing on the case’s acceptability on Monday. The other two defendants are the Bangla daily’s (chief) news editor and its Comilla Correspondent. They will have to explain their stand through their lawyers on Jul 13. The suit was filed by the proprietor of the Karnaphuli Ship Builders Limited MA Rashid on Mar 3. According to the case details, the newspaper had intentionally ran ‘false’ reports against MA Rashid and his company on Dec 21 and 22 last year and on Feb 23 and 24 this year under different headlines. Prosecution lawyer Moniruzzaman Hawladar said the plaintiff is the founding chairman of Dhaka South Point School and College. The image of his client’s educational institution and business had been tarnished by the reports.