Court sends Barrister Mainul Hosein to jail

A Dhaka court has sent Barrister Mainul Hosein to jail after rejecting his bail petition in a defamation case, which was filed for slandering female journalist Masuda Bhatti on a television talk show.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Tofazzal Hosein passed the order after Barrister Mainul surrendered before the court and sought bail on Tuesday.

On behalf of the accused, defence counsel Md Jasim Uddin filed the bail petition before the court, and took part in the hearing.

Dhaka’s Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Muhammad Asaduzzaman Noor issued an arrest warrant against Mainul,hours after journalist Masuda Bhatti had filed a defamation case against the latter on October 21, 2018.

Barrister Mainul has been facing much of anger and criticism on the internet and mass media, since he called journalist Masuda “characterless” in Ekattor Journal, a talk show hosted by Mithila Farzana and aired live on Ekattor TV.

He also hurled other abusive words at Masuda, while shouting and telling her to ask questions like an “educated and gentle woman.”

Mainul was connected via video conference to the show. During the conversation, Masuda had referred to a video that recently went viral on social media and showed Mainul addressing a program of Islami Chhatra Shibir, expressing solidarity with the Jamaat-e-Islami student wing.

The former caretaker government adviser’s verbal attack on her came right after Masuda said that many were calling him the Jamaat representative in the Jatiya Oikya Front, and asked whether it was true.

In a statement, the court said that no one had the right to call anyone “characterless” when faced with a legitimate journalistic query.