Editors for withdrawal of all cases

The Editor's Council has condemned and protested the filing of cases one after another against The Daily Star editor and the Council's general secretary, Mahfuz Anam.

In a resolution adopted at a Council meeting in the capital yesterday with its President Golam Sarwar in the chair, the body expressed hope that good sense would prevail among all quarters and all the cases against the Star editor would be withdrawn.

The meeting “noted with concern” that 66 cases, including defamation suits involving Tk 82,646.5 crore (as of yesterday afternoon), have been filed across the country against Anam, also publisher of The Daily Star. 

"The meeting feels that such incidents go against freedom of the press. We expect that all cases against Mahfuz Anam will be withdrawn. The Editors' Council expects that good sense would prevail among all quarters in this regard," says the resolution. 

In addition to Mahfuz Anam, the meeting was attended by Reaz Uddin Ahmed, editor, News Today; Moazzem Hossain, editor, The Financial Express; Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, editor, Manabzamin; M Shamsur Rahman, editor, The Independent; Naim Nizam, editor, Bangladesh Pratidin; Matiur Rahman, editor, Prothom Alo; Nurul Kabir, editor, New Age; Imdadul Haque Milon, editor, Kaler Kantho; Dewan Hanif Mahmud, editor, Banik Barta; A M M Bahauddin, editor, Inquilab; Shyamol Dutta, editor, Bhorer Kagoj; and Zafar Sobhan, editor, Dhaka Tribune.