A Magura court today granted bail to The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam in a Tk 50,000-crore defamation case.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Imtiajul Islam passed the order after Anam appeared before it and sought bail in the case.

The court fixed May 19 for next hearing of the case.

Earlier on February 22, the court summoned the editor of The Daily Star newspaper.

On February 18, Sohrab Hossain Sabuj, district unit joint secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of the ruling Awami League, filed the defamation suit against the Star editor.

A total of 79 cases including 17 pleading to bring charges of treason have been filed against Anam in 53 districts between February 9 and 22. A total of Tk 1,32,811 crore has been sought for the damages.

The barrage of cases began days after the Star editor at a talk show on February 3 made an introspective comment about a lapse in his editorial judgement in publishing some reports, based on information given by the TFIC during the 2007-08 caretaker government's tenure, without being able to verify those independently.

The cases have drawn condemnation from local and international journalists and journalist unions.