Pro-Awami League Juktorashtro Bangabandhu Parishad, or Bangabandhu Society of USA, has filed a $500 million defamation case with the US federal court in Michigan against Al Jazeera over a report, titled “All The Prime Minister’s Men,” that aired last month.
Sharing the move at a press conference in New York on Monday, the organization’s President Rabbi Alam said that everyone connected to this defamatory report must be brought to justice.
Al Jazeera's English TV, Al Jazeera's Media Network, Konok Sarwar, Elias Hossain, Shayer Zulkarnain Sami, Delwar Hossain, and David Bergman were accused in the case, which was filed on February 22 and made it into the court docket Monday, according to media reports.
The plaintiffs in the case are - Bangabandhu Parishad, its President Rabbi, United States Bangabandhu Commission, its Chairman Sher Muhammad Anam Rasu, and Rizvi Alam, International Affairs Secretary of Bangabandhu Central Commission and president of SPAN Branch.
The investigative report by the Qatar-based international news channel, which aired on February 1, levelled various corruption allegations against Bangladesh Army chief Gen Aziz Ahmed and his brothers, which went viral on social media.
The Bangladesh government rejected the allegations and condemned the desperate “smear campaign” instigated by extremists and their allies, working from London and elsewhere through the report.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen hinted at taking legal steps against Al Jazeera for spreading misinformation through broadcasting the “false and fabricated” report.
Gen Aziz also claimed that the allegations were false, concocted and part of a conspiracy hatched by vested groups.
‘Must apologize’
“As Bangladeshi-Americans, we at Bangabandhu Parishad and Bangabandhu Commission have been working tirelessly to uphold the dignity of Bangladesh all over the world,” said Rabbi Alam to Bhorer Kagoj Live.
“Whoever tries o tarnish the image of our country and question the dignity of our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, we will take legal action against them even in America. That’s why we have filed this $500 million defamation case,” he added.
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He also told Kaler Kantho that for a long time now, Al Jazeera has been carrying out negative propaganda against Bangladesh through false journalism. It’s false, unsubstantiated and low-quality report aired recently reflected the political bias of their political commentator, David Bergman.
“Al Jazeera has been broadcasting motivated and false news against Bangladesh and its army. We are not only rejecting those reports but also announcing our move to deal with it legally,” Rabbi added.
He continued: “We want to hold Al Jazeera's office in the US accountable through this case. Besides, we want to boycott Al Jazeera on all kinds of social media and also seek compensation for disgracing Bangladesh.”
According to a Bangabandhu Parishad statement, which was read at Monday’s press conference, those who have been quoted by Al Jazeera as a source of information have long been involved in deep conspiracies against Bangladesh.
“Not only that, for a long time Al Jazeera has been working as an anti-liberation force in Bangladesh. For this, Al Jazeera authorities must apologize to Bangladesh and provide accurate information.”
Last week, a court in Dhaka had rejected a sedition complaint filed against four people on charges of conspiring against Bangladesh through the Al Jazeera report.
Bangabandhu Foundation Founder and President Moshiur Malek had filed the complaint on February 17, accusing Swedish-Bangladeshi journalist Tasneem Khalil, Hungary-based entrepreneur Zulkarnain Saer Khan alias Sami, British journalist David Bergman and Director General (editing council) of Al Jazeera Television Mostefa Souag.
Tasneem, Sami and Bergman had appeared on the Al Jazeera report.
Sedition cases require prior approval from the government. The court rejected the complaint as it did not have the clearance.
