Mainul gets 5 months' interim bail

Star file photo

The High Court yesterday granted bail for five months to barrister Mainul Hosein in two defamation cases.

An HC bench of Justice Muhammad Abdul Hafiz and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order after hearing separate petitions filed by him.

It came hours after two courts issued arrest warrants against Mainul after separate defamation cases were filed against him for hurling abusive words at journalist Masuda Bhatti during a television talk show.

In Dhaka, Masuda Bhatti filed a case with the Court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Muhammad Asaduzzaman Noor. The other case was filed by convener of Jamalpur Jubo Mohila League Farzana Yasmin Lita with the Court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Soleiman Kabir.

After taking the charges into cognisance, the Dhaka court issued the arrest warrant and directed the officer-in-charge of Sutrapur police to submit a report on execution of the order by November 22.

The Jamalpur court also took cognisance of the charges and issued an arrest order after a Tk 20,000-crore defamation case was filed against Mainul.

On Tuesday night, Mainul, also former adviser to a caretaker government, hurled abusive words at Masuda Bhatti and termed her “characterless” at the talk show -- Ekattor Journal -- hosted by Mithila Farzana on Ekattor TV.

Masuda Bhatti, acting editor of Dainik Amader Notun Somoy, and Sakhawat Hossain Shayanta were present at the live talk show.

Mainul was connected to the programme through videoconference.

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

She posed a question during the programme: “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 added Mainul also shouted and raised his fingers in efforts to stop her.

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