Press conference on the decision to withdraw the false extortion case filed against Amar Desh newspaper journalist Moniruzzaman Sheikh Jewel

Yasin Hossain, the local representative of the contractor company Jakaullah & Brothers Limited and the plaintiff in the case, has announced the withdrawal of the extortion case filed against Daily Amar Desh newspaper's Kotalipara Upazila correspondent Moniruzzaman Sheikh Jewel over the publication of news about irregularities in road construction work in Kotalipara, Gopalganj. He made this announcement at a press conference organized at the Gopalganj Press Club at 3:30 pm on Wednesday (July 15). At the press conference, Yasin Hossain said that the news was published in Daily Amar Desh newspaper on July 6 alleging irregularities in the maintenance work...

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Yasin Hossain, the local representative of the contractor company Jakaullah & Brothers Limited and the plaintiff in the case, has announced the withdrawal of the extortion case filed against Daily Amar Desh newspaper’s Kotalipara Upazila correspondent Moniruzzaman Sheikh Jewel over the publication of news about irregularities in road construction work in Kotalipara, Gopalganj.

He made this announcement at a press conference organized at the Gopalganj Press Club at 3:30 pm on Wednesday (July 15).

At the press conference, Yasin Hossain said that the news was published in Daily Amar Desh newspaper on July 6 alleging irregularities in the maintenance work of the road from Sikir Bazar Scout Bhaban to Purba Chitrapara in Kotalipara upazila of Gopalganj.  After the news was published, he became angry and filed a case against journalist Moniruzzaman Sheikh Jewel in the Gopalganj Senior Judicial Magistrate’s Court on July 7, alleging extortion.

He said, “The case was misunderstood. I realized that I have no complaint against journalist Moniruzzaman Sheikh Jewel. Therefore, I have decided to withdraw the case and will take necessary steps to withdraw it through legal process.”

He also said at the press conference, “I have not had any kind of extortion or money demand incident with journalist Moniruzzaman Sheikh Jewel. It was not right to file this case based on publishing news in the public interest.”

Incidentally, on July 6, an investigative report titled “Irregularities in road construction in Kotalipara, video of carpeting being removed goes viral” was published in the daily Amar Desh online. The report raised questions about various irregularities in road construction, low-quality carpeting and the quality of work based on complaints from locals.

A day after the report was published, on July 7, Yasin Hossain, the local representative of Jakaullah & Brothers Limited, filed a case against journalist Moniruzzaman Sheikh Jewel in the Gopalganj Senior Judicial Magistrate’s Court on false and baseless charges of extortion. After the case was filed, there was intense anger among the journalist community in Gopalganj and journalists protested in various ways, including by forming human chains.

Representatives of various media workers and contracting companies from Gopalganj district were present at the press conference.