Defamation case against Khokon filed by Taposh’s ‘well-wishers’

Two "well-wishers" of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh filed two defamation cases against former DSCC mayor Sayeed Khokon on Monday.

They filed the cases several hours after Mayor Taposh's warning of legal action against the former mayor, terming Khokon's recent remarks about him defamatory.

Kazi Anisur Rahman and Advocate Md Sarwar Alam filed the cases with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury.

The court will pass its order on the acceptance of the case today.

Advocate Md Sarwar Alam told The Business Standard, "I filed this case on my own, as a well-wisher of Mayor Taposh. Neither did the mayor instruct me, nor was he consulted before I filed the case."

He said he is currently working as a lawyer at the Supreme Court and Dhaka Judge's Court. He is also the law secretary of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Prajanma League's central committee and a member of the Supreme Court unit of Bangabandhu Foundation.

Meanwhile, in a statement signed by Sayeed Khokon's Public Relations Officer Habibul Islam and sent to the media on Monday night, the former mayor said he will face the charges in court.

In the statement, Khokon said, "What is the market price of Mayor Taposh's prestige? I will know that after getting the case-related papers. Besides facing the charges legally and on the road, debts will be calculated face to face."

Earlier, in the morning, while talking to reporters – after visiting DSCC's ongoing waste removal activities in the Gopibagh and Segun Bagicha areas of the capital – Taposh termed the former mayor's remarks "defamatory" and warned of taking legal steps.

Taposh said, "Yesterday [Sunday] was Bangabandhu's Homecoming Day; suddenly, just one day before the occasion, on 9 January, he [Khokon] organised a meeting against me, and uttered defamatory words about me. I think it is an expression of his personal resentment."

"We launched a campaign against corruption when I took office on 16 May, and it is still ongoing. The media has published reports on corruption committed while building a market. There are allegations of illegal transactions of money. The allegations have been raised by the very persons who gave the money," he continued.

"I myself, or the DSCC, never raised the allegations. The traders of Fulbaria Market brought the complaints, whereas, he [Khokon] is now trying to put all the blame on me. I think this is very unwanted. It is only out of personal resentment that he is raising this hue and cry," he added.

Asked if he would file a defamation suit against Khokon, the DSCC mayor said, "Yes, of course. He surely made defamatory remarks about me. I was surprised to hear him speak. He admitted himself as a little corrupt, and at the same time raised allegations against me. The allegations against me – of course they were defamatory. I can definitely take action in this regard."

Meanwhile, plaintiff Adv Sarwar Alam, in the case statement, mentioned Sayeed Khokon's allegations made against Taposh while addressing a human chain programme of the evicted traders of Fulbaria Market on Saturday.

Alam said, "To file the case, I first went to Shahbagh Police Station at 5pm on Sunday. Police advised me to file a petition with the court. In this situation, for the sake of justice, I have appealed to the court for the issuance of an arrest warrant against the accused under Section 500 of the Penal Code."