Bangladesh
High Court Did not want to know a journalist's news source: High Court
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, June 22: Referring that one should go to the Press Council if he has any complaint against a jouranlist's news, the High Court said, "We did not want to know the source of a journalist's news."
A High Court division bench comprising Justice Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Izarul Haque Akand on Tuesday made the remarks while hearing a petition seeking action by the ACC against a journalist who made a news story in a national daily with the headline — 'Engineer Ashraful acquitted for Tk 20 crore! An ACC style to curb corruption'.
At one stage, the court ruled in favour of Ashraful Alam, a former chief engineer of public works, and his wife, and ordered a re-investigation by a new investigating officer, excluding the former officer.
At the hearing, the High Court said it was not a contempt of court case, and if anyone has a complaint about any journalist's news, he can go to the Press Council first. We did not want to know the source of the journalist's news.
A news report titled 'Engineer Ashraful acquitted for Tk 20 crore! An ACC style to curb corruption' was published in a national daily on March 2 last year.
When the report was brought to the notice of the court, the court issued a rule and summoned the documents of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). It also instructed the reporter to cooperate with his data. At the hearing on Tuesday, the ACC lawyer called the report 'mafia journalism' and demanded action against the concerned journalist.
On the other hand, the lawyer for the reporter brought up the issue of freedom of press and freedom of speech in the constitution, and the principle of non-disclosure of sources in investigative journalism. The court, after hearing the statements of both the parties, decided the rule and gave directions.
