Dhaka: A Dhaka metropolitan magistrate on Thursday accepted a case against the Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam and ordered the Kotwali police officer-in-charge to submit a report by 28 March after investigating the complaints.

Mostafizur Rahman Dulal, an assistant public prosecutor of Dhaka Special Judges Court 9, lodged the complaint with the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Rani Chakrabarti on Thursday.

Mahfuz Anam was charged with publishing false and twisted reports against Awami League President Sheikh Hasina during the military-backed 2007-2008 caretaker regime.

Mahfuz Anam in 3 February talk show with ATN Bangla admitted that his newspaper published unverified news supplied by the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) during the caretaker regime.

He also added that almost all newspapers published such reports during the military-backed government period and such acts were not good editorial practice. 

His admission outraged ruling Awami League and its associate organisations. A Bangladesh Chhatra League leader in Gopalganj on Thursday filed a Tk 10 crore defamation case against Mahfuz Anam for reportedly committing seditious activities.  

Earlier on 9 February, two sedition cases were filed against the Daily Star Editor in Khulna and Lakshmipur by BCL leaders.