Case filed against Prothom Alo journalist Samsuzzaman under DSA
A case was filed against Prothom Alo journalist Samsuzzaman under Digital Security Act on Wednesday.
Certain Syed Md Golam Kirbria, 36, filed the case with capital’s Tejgon police station.
The development came several hours after home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said a case was filed against Samsuzzaman.
Earlier, several plainclothesmen identifying themselves as members of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) picked up Samsuzzaman, from his house in Savar near Jahangirnagar University early Wednesday morning.
As per the case statement, the case was filed at 2:15am on Wednesday, 29 March 2023 and the plaintiff resides in Kallaynpur area.
According to information available on Facebook page of Syed Md. Golam Kirbria, he is the general secretary of Juba League’s Dhaka City North ward 11 unit and a former member of the central committee of Bangladesh Chhattra League.
Syed Md Golam Kirbria said in the case statement, “I read a news on the website of the Prothom Alo while I was browsing internet in front of Al Raji Hospital in Framgate area near Tejgaon police station around 1:32am on Wednesday. The news was also shared on its Facebook page."
The report was published with a photo of a child holding flowers in hands in front of the National Mausoleum at Savar, said the case statement.
The report said that the boy’s name is Zakir Hossain and he said, “What would I do with the independence if I don’t have rice to eat. I sweat when I go to market; we need freedom of fish, meat and rice.” This news went viral on social media
The plaintiff alleged thousands of people shared that news on social media with screenshots at home and abroad and that tarnished the image of the country on the Independence Day and triggered a negative reaction.
It was revealed by a news broadcasted in Ekattor.tv later Prothom Alo published the news intentionally with false identity and misquote.
Porthom Alo provided wrong information on the child whose name was mentioned in the news.
This report of Prothom Alo puts the achievement of Bangladesh on question, tarnishes image of the government, and creates a possibility of deteriorating law and order situation in the country. That is why, the plaintiff has felt aggrieved and filed the lawsuit, according to the case statement.