Saydee files defamation suit of Tk100cr

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Saydee yesterday filed a compensation suit of Tk 100 crore against three lawyers, accusing them of tarnishing his image through filing a case to declare Saydee and 35 others war criminals.The defendants are advocates Mohammad Liton Miah, Mohammad Safayat Hossain Sajib, and Rajeeb Ahmad who had earlier filed the civil suit.On taking into cognisance the suit filed by Saydee, Judge SM Saiful Islam of the Third Joint District Judge's Court of Dhaka summoned the three defendants to appear before it on June 17 and to explain their arguments against the demands sought by the plaintiff of the suit.In his suit, Saydee mentioned that the defendants had earlier filed a suit to declare him and 35 others war criminals and to disqualify them from contesting the general elections. It had tarnished their image and reputation nationally and internationally. Moreover, it caused a loss of Tk 100 crore in monetary terms, Saydee stated.The three advocates filed a civil suit on November 13 last year against Saydee and 35 others to declare them war criminals for their role in 1971 Liberation War. The 36 defendants included Jamaat's former Ameer Ghulam Azam, its incumbent Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid, and the party's senior central leaders Abdus Subhan, AKM Yosuf, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, Abdul Quader Molla, Delwar Hossain Saydee, Mir Kasem Ali, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, barrister Korban Ali, and advocate Ansar Ali, and BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury. After the hearing, Judge Iftekhar Ahmed of the 9th Assistant Judge's Court on May 11 took the matter for trial and issued the summons on them to appear before it on July 20 and to explain why they would not be declared war criminals for 'committing crimes against humanity' in 1971.But the plaintiffs on May 13 withdrew the suit in 'greater national interest' as the government took an initiative to hold trial against them under special tribunals. Talking to the newsmen, barrister Abdur Razzaq said his client never opposed the Liberation War of Bangladesh. The war crime case had been filed against his client to tarnish his image. While asked whether Saydee was involved in Liberation War, Razzaq said Saydee did not oppose the Liberation War.