Four Journalists Sued in Bogra Over Defamatory Reports Against State Minister

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A local court in Bogura has ordered the filing of a criminal case against the editor and three staff members of the newspaper *Dainik Agrayatra Protidin* on charges of circulating defamatory information regarding State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, Meer Shahe Alam. Senior Judicial Magistrate Mehedi Hasan issued the directive on Monday, tasking the officer-in-charge of Bogura Sadar Police Station to register the complaint as an official police report and initiate legal proceedings.

The case was filed by Tanvir Alam, editor of the local daily *Mahasthan* and treasurer of the Bogura Press Club. The defendants named in the suit include editor and publisher Mehedi Hasan, news editor Ashraf Ali Faruqi, reporter Saleh Kaysar, and the publication’s Bogura correspondent, Shamsul Alam. The charges fall under sections 500, 501, 504, and 109 of the Penal Code.

According to the petition, the defendants allegedly launched a coordinated campaign to damage the personal, social, and political reputation of both the plaintiff and the state minister. The complaint cites a June 12 social media post that purportedly distorted remarks made by the minister during a press conference at the Bogura Press Club, framing them with inflammatory rhetoric. Furthermore, the petition claims that on June 13, the defendants circulated additional misleading and derogatory content surrounding the Prime Minister’s visit to the district.

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Tanvir Alam, who described himself as a well-wisher of the minister, stated that the legal action was taken to protect the image of a public representative who has been instrumental in the region’s recent development. He alleged that certain individuals are attempting to hinder local progress by spreading fabricated information.

Abdul Wahab, the lawyer representing the plaintiff, confirmed the court’s decision to move the case forward. Bogura Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ibrahim Ali stated that his office had not yet received the formal court documents but pledged to take the necessary legal steps once the order is processed.