Another arrest warrant issued against Mainul

Another arrest warrant has been issued against Barrister Mainul Hosein by a court in Cox's Bazar in connection with a case filed on charges of defaming Journalist Masuda Bhatti.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Tamanna Farah issued the warrant after a brief hearing on the case filed with the court today by Fakhrul Islam Gundu, a lawyer and former general secretary of Cox's Bazar unit Awami League, reports our local correspondent.

In the case statement, the plaintiff claimed that by calling Masuda Bhatti a person of “loose character” at the talk show, Barrister Mainul has insulted the women journalists as well as the whole women community.

"Mainul has made such remarks with an intention of creating anarchy in the country," the statement read.

Other cases against Mainul

With the case, Maniul is now facing at least seven cases so far.

Masuda Bhatti filed the case in Dhaka with the Court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Muhammad Asaduzzaman Noor. Besides, Jamalpur Jubo Mohila League Convener Farzana Yasmin Lita filed in Jamalpur with the Court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Soleiman Kabir.

Mainul got an ad interim bail on Sunday in the two defamation cases.

Other cases were filed in Rangpur, Cumilla, Bhola and Brahmanbaria in connection with the same issue. A court in Brahmanbaria issued arrest warrant against Mainul yesterday afternoon.

Mainul sent to jail

Barrister Mainul Hosein was sent to jail this afternoon in the defamation suit filed in Rangpur.

Detectives produced him before court around 1:00pm. The accused, pleaded for bail but his plea was turned down.

He was arrested last night from the Uttara residence of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rab) chief ASM Abdur Rab.

What happened during the talk show?

On Tuesday night, Mainul called Masuda Bhatti a person of “loose character” at the talk show of Ekattor Journal. He was connected through videoconference.

During the discussion, Masuda referred to a video [which went viral on social media] that showed Mainul Hosein had addressed a programme of Islami Chhatra Shibir, expressing solidarity with the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami.

She posed a question during the show: “As a result, many are commenting that you are in the alliance [Jatiya Oikya Front] as a representative of Jamaat-e-Islami… is it true?”

“Giving no response, he made a verbal attack and tried to tarnish my image and dignity. He instructed me to pose questions like that of an 'educated and gentle woman',” she said later in a statement.

She said Mainul Hosein also shouted and raised his fingers in efforts to stop her.

Mithila Farzana warned him that he should not hurl such verbal abuse at a guest during the show.

Who is Mainul Hosein?

Barrister Mainul Hosein is a former caretaker government adviser.

He was involved in the process of forming Jatiya Oikyafront, an alliance of BNP, Gono Forum, JSD (Rab) and Nagorik Oikya, launched on October 13.

Mainul is also the publisher and is on the editorial board chief of The New Nation newspaper.